طافَ الخَيالُ مِن اِبنِ شَيبَةَ وَاِعتَرى

وَالقَومُ مِن سِنَةٍ نَشاوى بِالكَرى

The phantom of Ibn Shihab passed by and was distressed,

While the people because of old age were bent over with affliction.

طافَت بِخوصٍ كَالقِسيِّ وَفِتيَةٍ

هَجَعوا قَليلاً بَعدَ ما مَلّوا السُرى

It roamed about the withered plants like felt cloth,

And youth who rested little after the journeys.

حَتّى إِذا هَجَدوا أَلَمَّ خَيالُها

سِرّاً أَلا بِلِمامِه كانَ المُنى

Until when they became downcast, its thoughts pained it,

Secretly, unless by its turban was its purpose.

طَرَقَت بريّا رَوضَةٍ مِن عالِجٍ

وَسميّةٍ عَذُبَت وَبَيَّتها النَدى

It wandered into a garden of lofty trees and Named,

Whose freshness intoxicated it and the dew lodged it.

يا أمَّ شَيبَةَ أَيَّ ساعَةِ مطرقٍ

نَبَّهتنا أَينَ المَدينَةُ مِن بُدا

O mother of Shihab, what a time when you knocked,

Did you wake us? Where is the city from the homes?

إِنّي مَتى أَقضِ اللُبانَةَ أَجتَهد

عَنَقَ العِتاقِ الناجِياتِ عَلى الوَجى

When I finish my prayers, I will strive

To visit the emancipated long necks in the sanctuary,

حَتّى أَزورَكِ إِن تَيَسَّرَ طائِري

وَسَلِمتُ مِن رَيبِ الحَوادِثِ وَالرَدى

Until I visit you, if my star allows,

And I am safe from the uncertainty of time and returning.

فَلَأَمدَحَنَّ بَني عَطِيَّةَ كُلَّهُم

مَدحاً يُوافي في المَواسِمِ وَالقرى

So I will praise the family of ‘Uthman, all of them,

A praise that meets in seasons and homes.

الأَكرَمينَ أَوائِلاً وَأَواخِراً

وَالأَحلَمينَ إِذا تُخولجتِ الحُبا

The most generous first and last

And the most forbearing if passions are aroused

وَالمانِعينَ مِنَ الهَضيمَةِ جارَهُم

وَالجامِعينَ الرّاقعينَ لما وَهى

And the preventers of wronging their neighbor

And the repairers of that which is corrupt

وَالعاطِفينَ عَلى الضَريكِ بِفَضلِهِم

وَالسابِقينَ إِلى المَكارِمِ مَن سَعى

And the ones who show kindness to the miserable in their generosity

And the foremost in noble deeds when one sets out

قَد قُلتُ وَالعيسُ النَجائِبُ تَفتَلي

بِالقَومِ عاصِفَةً خَوانِفَ في البُرى

I have spoken, and the falcon wanders

Among the people, unsettled, in the expanse.

شَدَّ الوَليدُ غَداةَ لُدَّ شدَّةً

فَكَفى بِها أَهلَ البَصيرَةِ وَاِكتَفى

Al-Walid yanked the next morning, yanking strongly,

And it was enough for the people of Basra, and they were content.