تأَوَّبَ عينَ ابنِ الزبيرِ سُهودُها
وَوَلّى عَلى ما قَد عَراها هُجودُها
The eyes of Ibn al-Zubayr grew dim with sorrow
And turned away from what unveiled them in shame
كأن سوادَ العَينِ أَبطنَ نَحلَةً
وَعاوَدَها مِمّا تَذكَّرُ عِيدُها
As if the blackness of the eyes harbored a beehive
That returned to it, reminded of its feast
مُخَصَّرةً مِن نَحلِ جيحانَ صعبَةً
لَوى بِجناحَيها وَليدٌ يَصيدُها
An extract of Jaihan's harsh bees
Whose wings a young one twisted to catch it
مِن اللَيلِ وَهناً أَو شَظيَّةَ سُنبلٍ
أَذاعَت بِهِ الأَرواحُ يُذري حَصيدُها
From the night, feeble or shreds of wheat
Whose spirits the winds scattered, winnowing its harvest
إِذا طُرِفت أَذرت دُموعً كَأَنَّها
نَثيرُ جُمانٍ بانَ عَنها فَريدها
When glanced at, it shed tears as if
A scattering of pearls unveiled its solitary pearl
وَبتُّ كَأَنَّ الصَدرَ فيهِ ذُبالَةٌ
شَبات حَرّها القِنديل ذاكٍ وَقودُها
My heart inside was as if a lamp
Lit up by an oil lamp, its wick kindled
فَقُلتُ أُناجي النَفسَ بَيني وَبَينَها
كَذاكَ اللَيالي نَحسُها وَسُعودها
So I soliloquized within myself
Such are the nights, their evil and good fortune
فَلا تَجزَعي مِمّا أَلَمَّ فانَّني
أَرى سنةً لَم يَبقَ إِلّا شَريدُها
Do not despair at what has pained you
For I see an era none of which remains but its fugitives
أَتاني وَعُرضُ الشامِ بَيني وَبَينَها
أَحاديثُ وَالأَنباءُ ينمي بَعيدُها
Reports and news came to me from Syria
Growing its distance between it and I
بِأَنَّ أَبا حَسّانَ تَهدمُ دارَهُ
لُكَيزٌ سَعَت فُسّاقُها وَعَبيدُها
That Abu Hassaan's house was destroyed
By Lakhmite gangs extensive in numbers and slaves
جزت مُضَراً عَنّي الجَوازي بِفعلِها
وَلا أَصبحت الا بِشَرٍّ جُدودُها
Who did Mudar a favor with their deeds
And I did not wake except with continuous sorrows
فَما خَيرُكُم لا سَيِّداً تنصرونَهُ
وَلا خائِفاً ان جاءَ يَوماً طَريدُها
What good are you, protecting no master
Nor fearful one if a day comes, expelling him
أَخذلانَهُ في كُلِّ يَومِ كَريهَةٍ
وَمسألة ما أَن يُنادي وَليدُها
Abandoning him every hateful day
And not answering when his child calls
لأمكُمُ الوَيلاتُ أَنّى أُتيتُمُ
جَماعاتِ أَقوامٍ كَثيرٍ عَديدُها
Woe unto you, however did you come
To be hordes of numerous and countless people
فَيالَيتَكُم مِن بَعدِ خُذلانِكم لَهُ
جوارٍ عَلى الأَعناقِ منها عُقودُها
I wish you after abandoning him
Had a covenant upon your necks, its knots tightening
أَلَم تَغضَبوا تَبّاً لَكُم إِذا سطت بكم
مَجوسُ القُرى في دارِكُم وَيَهودُها
Are you not angry, may you perish
When the Magians of the towns and its Jews gain power over you
تَرَكتم أَبا حَسّانَ تُهدَمُ دارُهُ
مُشَيَّدَةً أَبوابُها وَحَديدُها
You left Abu Hassaan's house to be destroyed
Erected, its doors and iron locks
يهدِّمُها العِجُليُّ فيكم بشُرطةٍ
كَما نَبَّ في شَبلِ التُيوسِ عتودُها
Destroyed by the Ghassanid among you with a police force
As the sharecropper drove his plow into the fertile land's soil
لَعَمري لَقَد لَفَّ اليَهويُّ ثَوبَهُ
عَلى غَدرةٍ شَنعاءَ باقٍ نَشيدُها
By my life, the Jew wrapped his garb
Upon villainous treachery, its song lasting
فَلَو كانَ مِن قَحطانَ أَسماءُ شَمَّرَت
كَتائبُ مِن قَحطانَ صُعرٌ خُدودُها
If the Asma were from Qahtan, the brigades
From Qahtan would have grim-faced warriors
فَفي رَجَبٍ أَو غُرَّةِ الشَهرِ بَعدَهُ
تَزوركُمُ حُمرُ المَنايا وَسودُها
So in Rajab or at the new moon after it
The red deaths will visit you and their darkness
ثَمانونَ أَلفاً دينُ عُثمانَ دينُهم
كَتائِبُ فيها جبرَئيلُ يَقودُها
Eighty thousand, the religion of Uthman their religion
Brigades led by Gabriel guiding them
فَمَن عاشَ مِنكُم عاشَ عَبداً وَمَن يَمُت
فَفي النارِ سُقياهُ هناك صَديدُها
Whoever of you survives, survives a slave
And whoever dies, in the Fire his drink boiling there
