تَذَكَّرتُ قَبلَ اليَومِ أَيَّةَ خَلَّةً

تَذَكَّرتُ قَبلَ اليَومِ أَيَّةَ خَلَّةً

أَضَرَّت بِحَقّي عِندكُم وَهوَ واجِبُ

أَضَرَّت بِحَقّي عِندكُم وَهوَ واجِبُ

I pondered before today what failing

I remember the day before yesterday what offense

had harmed my right with you, though it is owed.

Has harmed my right with you, though it is a duty

وَما في قَناتي مِن وُصومٍ تَعيبُها

وَما في قَناتي مِن وُصومٍ تَعيبُها

وَلا ذَمَّ رَحلي فيكُمُ مَن أُصاحِبُ

وَلا ذَمَّ رَحلي فيكُمُ مَن أُصاحِبُ

And there are no flaws in my spear-shaft to mar it,

My spear is free of rust for you to blame

nor has anyone I keep company with among you found fault with my saddle.

And no fault tarnishes my journey, though I accompany

وَتَعلَمُ إِن كاتَمتهُ الناسُ أَنَّني

وَتَعلَمُ إِن كاتَمتهُ الناسُ أَنَّني

عَلَيكَ وَلَم أظلم بِذَلِكَ عاتِبُ

عَلَيكَ وَلَم أظلم بِذَلِكَ عاتِبُ

And you know, even if people have concealed it, that I

You know though people hide it, that I

am reproachful toward you, and have done no wrong in this.

Blame not you, O son of Zubayr, though I upbraid

وَما أَنا راضٍ بِالَّذي غَيرُهُ الرِّضا

وَما أَنا راضٍ بِالَّذي غَيرُهُ الرِّضا

فَلا تَكذِبَنكَ اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ الكَواذِبُ

فَلا تَكذِبَنكَ اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ الكَواذِبُ

And I am not content with what is other than contentment;

I am not pleased with he who alters contentment

so let no lies deceive you, Ibn al-Zubayr.

So believe not the lies of Ibn Zubayr, the liars

رَأَيتُكَ تُقصيني وَتُشمتُ شانِياً

رَأَيتُكَ تُقصيني وَتُشمتُ شانِياً

كَأَنِّي بِما لَم أَجتَرِم لَكَ رائِبُ

كَأَنِّي بِما لَم أَجتَرِم لَكَ رائِبُ

I saw you drive me away and make a foe gloat,

I saw you shunning me, exulting in my misfortune

as though I were suspect to you for a wrong I never committed.

As if I, though guileless towards you, were a wanted man

فَإِن كانَ مِن عِندي فَبَيِّن فَإِنَّني

فَإِن كانَ مِن عِندي فَبَيِّن فَإِنَّني

لِصرمِكُمُ يا اِبنَ الزُّبَيرِ لَهائِبُ

لِصرمِكُمُ يا اِبنَ الزُّبَيرِ لَهائِبُ

So if the fault was mine, make it plain, for I

If it comes from me, then explain it, for I

truly fear your severing ties, O Ibn al-Zubayr.

For your adversity, O son of Zubayr, am prepared

وَإِن كانَ مِن غَيري فَلا تشمِتِ العِدى

وَإِن كانَ مِن غَيري فَلا تشمِتِ العِدى

بِنا وَتَدارَك رَقعَ ما أَنتَ خارِبُ

بِنا وَتَدارَك رَقعَ ما أَنتَ خارِبُ

And if it came from someone else, do not make the enemies gloat

If it comes from another, then do not exult in wrongdoing

over us; and hasten to patch up what you are ruining.

Against us, and mend the rent that you have torn

وَإِن كانَ هَذا الصَّرمُ مِنكَ لِعِلَّةٍ

وَإِن كانَ هَذا الصَّرمُ مِنكَ لِعِلَّةٍ

فَصَرِّح وَلا تُخفِ الَّذي أَنتَ راكِبُ

فَصَرِّح وَلا تُخفِ الَّذي أَنتَ راكِبُ

And if this severing of ties by you has a reason,

If this adversity comes from you for some reason

then speak plainly, and do not hide what you are undertaking.

Then declare it and hide not that which you undertake

فَفي كُلِّ مِصرٍ قاسِطٌ تَعلَمونَهُ

فَفي كُلِّ مِصرٍ قاسِطٌ تَعلَمونَهُ

حَريصٌ عَلى سِرِّي إِلَيكَ وَراهِبُ

حَريصٌ عَلى سِرِّي إِلَيكَ وَراهِبُ

For in every city there is a wrongdoer whom you know,

For in every Egypt there is an evildoer you know

keenly concerned with my secret intentions toward you, and fearful.

Keen regarding my secrets to you, and a slinking spy

أَرى الحَربَ قَد دَرَّت عَلَيكَ وَفِتنَةً

أَرى الحَربَ قَد دَرَّت عَلَيكَ وَفِتنَةً

تَضَرَّمُ في الحافَاتِ مِنها المَحاطِبُ

تَضَرَّمُ في الحافَاتِ مِنها المَحاطِبُ

I see war already pouring upon you, and strife

I see war has brought upon you sedition

whose woodpiles blaze along the edges.

That injuries the outlying areas and their defenders

فَحَسبُكَ قَد جَرَّبتَني وَبَلَوتني

فَحَسبُكَ قَد جَرَّبتَني وَبَلَوتني

وَقَد يَنفَعُ المَرءَ الكَريمَ التَجارِبُ

وَقَد يَنفَعُ المَرءَ الكَريمَ التَجارِبُ

Let that suffice for you: you have tried me and tested me;

You have tested me enough and tried me

and experience may benefit a noble man.

And trials can benefit the noble man

أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنّي عَدُوُّ عَدُوِّكُم

أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنّي عَدُوُّ عَدُوِّكُم

وَيَشقى بِنا في حَربِكُم مَن نُحارِبُ

وَيَشقى بِنا في حَربِكُم مَن نُحارِبُ

Did you not know that I am your enemy's enemy,

Do you not know that I am the enemy of your enemy?

and that whoever we fight suffers at our hands in your war?

And through our war he suffers who makes war on us

أُناضِلُ عَنكُم في المَغيبِ عَشيرَتي

أُناضِلُ عَنكُم في المَغيبِ عَشيرَتي

وَأَمَّا بِنَفسي دونَكُم فَأضارِبُ

وَأَمَّا بِنَفسي دونَكُم فَأضارِبُ

I contend with my own clan in your defense when you are absent,

I struggle for you against my tribe when absent

and with my own person I fight to shield you.

But by myself, without you, I can smite

لَكُم بارِدُ الدُّنيا وَنشقى بِحَرِّها

لَكُم بارِدُ الدُّنيا وَنشقى بِحَرِّها

إِذا عَضَّتِ الهامَ السُّيوفُ القَواضِبُ

إِذا عَضَّتِ الهامَ السُّيوفُ القَواضِبُ

Yours is the world's coolness, while we suffer its heat,

For you the cold world, though we suffer its heat

when keen-edged swords bite into heads.

When the hissing swords bite, the deadly shafts

فَلَسنا كِراماً إِن رَضينا بِذاكُمُ

فَلَسنا كِراماً إِن رَضينا بِذاكُمُ

وَلَم تَتَأَهَّب في الحَديدِ الكَتائِبُ

وَلَم تَتَأَهَّب في الحَديدِ الكَتائِبُ

So we are not noble men if we accept that,

We are no nobles if we accept that from you

without the battalions arraying themselves in iron.

And the regiments in iron do not prepare

وَلَولا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ وَبَيعَتي

وَلَولا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ وَبَيعَتي

لَقَد كَثُرَت حَولي عَلَيكَ الجَلائِبُ

لَقَد كَثُرَت حَولي عَلَيكَ الجَلائِبُ

And were it not for the Commander of the Faithful and my oath of allegiance,

Were it not for the Commander of the Faithful and my oath

the mustered hosts around me against you would indeed have been many.

Many misfortunes against you would have overwhelmed me