هاتِيكَ والِدَتي عَجُوزٌ هِمَّةٌ
مِثلُ البليَّةِ دِرعُها في المِشجَبِ
My aged mother, her strength undiminished
Like an armor against adversity's assault
مَهزُولَةُ اللَّحيَينِ من يَرَها يَقُل
أبصَرتُ غُولاً أو خَيَالَ القُطرُبِ
Her cheeks sunken, and who sees her would say
I've seen a ghoul or mirage in the desert sand
ما إن تَرَكتُ لها ولا لابنٍ لها
مالاً يُؤَمَّلُ غَيرَ بَكرٍ أجرَبِ
I've left her and her son naught of wealth
Save a maiden camel and five bleating ewes
ودَجَائجاً خَمساً يَرُحن إلَيهِمُ
لمَا يَبِضنَ وغَيرَ عَيرٍ مُغرِبِ
To sustain them when their udder milk runs dry
And some camels returning at dusk from the range
كَتَبُوا إلَيَّ صَحِيفَةً مَطبُوعَةً
جَعَلُوا عَلَيها طِينَةً كالعَقرَبِ
They sent me a letter sealed tight
As if plastered over with a scorpion's clay
فَعَلِمتُ أنَّ الشَّرَّ عِندَ فكَاكِها
فَفَكَكتُهَا عَن مِثلِ رِيحِ الجَورَبِ
I knew their plight was pressing and dire
So I cracked it open like an old shoe's tongue
وإذا شَبِيهٌ بالأفَاعي رُقِّشَت
يُوعِدنَني بِتَلَمُّظٍ وَتَثَوُّبِ
And found a shriveled serpent on the page
Who warned and hissed that they were famished
يَشكُون أنّ الجُوعَ أهلَكَ بَعضَهُم
لَزَباً فَهَل لَكَ في عِيَالٍ لُزَّبِ
Complaining hunger had claimed some of their kin
Asking: "Will you not aid your starving clansmen?"
لا يَسأَلُونَكَ غَيرَ طَلِّ سَحَابَةٍ
تَغشَاهُمُ مِن سَيلِكَ المُتَحَلِّبِ
They begged nothing but a cloudburst's shower
To pour from your clouds, soaked with generosity
يا بَاذِلَ الخَيرَاتِ يا ابنَ بَذُولِها
وَابنَ الكِرَامِ وكُلَّ قَومٍ مُنجِبِ
O you who rain goodness, son of the generous!
Scion of nobles, pillar of every great tribe!
أنتُم بَنُو العَبَّاسِ يُعلَمُ أنّكُم
قِدماً فَوَارِسُ كُلِّ يَومٍ أشهَبِ
You Abbassids, whose origin is known to be
The steeds who always raced at dawn's first light
أحلاسُ خَيلِ اللهِ وَهيَ مُغِيرَةٌ
يَخرُجنَ مِن خَلَلِ الغُبَارِ الأكهَبِ
God's cavalry, raiders emerging
From swirling clouds of dust raised by their charge
