أيَشْتِمُنِي عَمْرٌو وَمَرْوَانُ ضَلَّةً

بِحُكْمِ ابْنِ هِنْدٍ وَالشَّقِيُّ سَعِيدُ

'Amr and Marwan blame me for going astray

By the judgement of Ibn Hind and wretched Sa'id

وَحَوْلَ ابن هِنْدٍ شَائِعُونَ كَأنَّهُمْ

إِذَا مَا اسْتَفاضُوا فِي الحَدِيثِ قُرُودُ

And around Ibn Hind are tale-bearers who,

When they talk at length, are but apes

يَعَضُّونَ مِنْ غَيْظِ عَلَيَّ أكُفَّهُمْ

وَرَدُّكَ مَا لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُ شَدِيدُ

They gnash their teeth in anger against me, the palms of their hands

And your driving away what you cannot withstand, O Mighty One

وَمَا مَسَّنِي إلا ابْنُ هِنْدٍ وَإِنَّنِي

لِتِلْكَ الَّتِي يَشْجَى بِهَأ لَرَصُودُ

None has touched me but Ibn Hind, though indeed

I ache for the one whose love makes me sleepless and distressed

كَمَا بَلَّغَتْ أيَّامُ صِفْينَ نَفْسَهُ

تَرَاقِيَةُ وَالشَّامِتُونَ شُهُودُ

Just as the Battle of Siffin fulfilled its purpose

With the gloaters looking on as witnesses

فَلَمْ يَمْنَعُوهُ وَالرّمَاحُ تَنُوشُهُ

يَخِبُّ بِهَا رَحْبُ البَنَانِ عَنُودُ

They did not prevent him though the spears pierced him

With them the wide plain of Banan was humbled

وَطَارَتْ لِعَمْرٍ وفِي الفِجَاجِ شَظِيّةٌ

وَمَرْوَانُ عَنْ وَقْعِ السُّيُوفِ يَحِيدُ

‘Amr took flight and in al-Fijaj there was a loud commotion

While Marwan turned away from the clashing of swords

وَمَا لِسَعِيدٍ وِهِمَّةٌ غَيْرُ نَفْسِهِ

وَعِنْدِي لَهُ فِي الحَادِثَاتِ مَزِيدُ

Sa'id has no purpose but himself

Yet I see for him in events more to come

أَلَمْ يَبْتَدِرْكُمْ يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ فِتْيَةٌ

شَوَمِخَةٌ شُمُّ الْمَنَاخِرِ صِيدُ

Did not the youths take you by surprise at Siffin

Evil-omened, wide-nostrilled prey

سَعِيدٌ وَقَيْسٌ وَالْمُعَمِّرُ وَابْنُهُ

وَأشْتَرُ فِيهِمْ مُعْلَمٌ وَيَزُيدُ

Sa'id, Qays, al-Mu'ammar and his son

And among them Mu'lim and Yazid

وَكُنْتُمْ كَشَاءٍ غَابَ عَنْهَا رُعَاتُهَا

تُخَافُ عَلَيْهَا أذْؤبُّ وَأسُودُ

You were like sheep whose shepherd was absent

Feared for by the wolf and lion

فَتَخْطِفُكُمْ في الحَرْبِ خَطْفاً كَأنكمْ

إذَا ثَارَ نَقْعُ الفَيْلَقَيْنِ صُيُودُ

So they snatched you in war with a snatching as though you

When the striking of the two armies grew turbulent, were does’