ما بالُ حُزنٍ في الفُؤادَ مُوَلِّجِ
وَلِدَمعِكَ المُتَحَدِّرِ المُتَزَلِّجِ
What is this sorrow churning in my heart,
And your flowing, trickling tears?
أَسَمِعتَ بِالجَيشِ الَّذينَ تَفَرَّقوا
وَأَصابَهُم رَيبُ الزَمانِ الأَعوَجِ
Have you heard of the army that scattered,
Struck by the crookedness of time?
حُبِسوا بِكابُلَ يَأكُلونَ جِيادَهُم
بِأَضَرِّ مَنزِلَةٍ وَشَرِّ مُعَوَّجِ
Imprisoned in Kabul, eating their horses
In the most wretched resting place and crookedest valley.
لَم يَلقَ جَيشٌ في البِلادِ كَما لَقوا
فَلِمِثلِهِم قُل لِلنَوائِحِ تَنشِجِ
No army in the lands met what they met,
So for the likes of them, tell the keeners to wail.
وَاِسأَل عُبَيدَ اللَهِ كَيفَ رَأَيتَهُم
عِشرينَ أَلفَ مُجَفِّفٍ وَمُدَجَّجِ
And ask Ubaydallah, how did you see them?
Twenty thousand armed and equipped.
بَعثاً تَخَيَّرَهُ الأَميرُ جَلادَةً
بَعثاً مِنَ المِصرَينِ غَيرَ مُزَلَّجِ
An elite force the Emir cherry-picked
An army from the Egyptians, unhesitating.
وُلّيتَ شَأنَهُمُ وَكُنتَ أَميرَهُم
فَأَضَعتَهُم وَالحَربُ ذاتُ تَوَهُّجِ
You were made their commander, and their prince,
Yet you failed them, while war burned hot.
ما زِلتَ نازِلَهُم كَما زَعَموا أَباً
وَتَفُلُّهُم وَتَسيرُ سَيرَ الأَهوَجِ
You did not cease exploiting them, as they claimed,
Spitting on them, behaving like the unjust.
وَتَبيعُهُم فيها القَفيزَ بِدِرهَمٍ
فَيَظَلُّ جَيشُكَ بِالمَلامَةِ يَنتَجي
Selling their rations for a dirham,
While your army still faces blame.
وَمَنَعَتهُم أَلبانَهُم وَشَعيرَهُم
وَتَجَرتَ بِالعِنَبِ الَّذي لَم يَنضُجِ
You denied them their milk and barley,
And traded in grapes before they ripened.
وَنَهَكتَ ضَرباً بِالسِياطِ جُلودَهُم
ظُلماً وَعُدواناً وَلَم تَتَحَرَّجِ
You lashed their skin violently and unjustly
Without flinching, with whips that seared.
وَالأَرضُ كافِرَةٌ تُضَرِّمُ حَولَكُم
حَرباءَها بُعِجَت وَلَمّا تَنتِجِ
While the land around you flamed in enmity
Refusing to yield, yet you would not be deterred.
فَتَساقَطوا جوعاً وَأَنتَ ضُفَندَدٌ
شَبعانُ تُصبِحُ كَالأَبَدِّ الأَفجَجِ
They perished from hunger while you lounged,
Gorged, becoming like solid rock.
زَخوُ النَسا وَالحالِبَينِ مُلَثَّماً
في مِثلِ جَحفَلَةِ الحِمارِ الدَيزَجِ
Covered in the milk of sheep and cows,
Like a donkey rolling in muck.
وَظَنَنتَ أَنَّكَ لَن تُعاقَبَ فيهُمُ
وَاللَهُ يُصبِحُ مِن أَمامِ المُدلِجِ
You thought you'd never be punished for them,
But Allah's justice comes at dawn.
حَتّى إِذا هَلَكوا وَبادَ كُراعُهُم
رُمتَ الخُروجَ وَأَيُّ ساعَةِ مَخرَجِ
When they died and their legions vanished,
You tried to flee - but what escape?
وَأَبى شُرَيحٌ أَن يُسامَ دَنِيَّةً
حَرَجاً وَصُحفُ كِتابِهِم لَم تُدرَجِ
Shuraih refused to be dishonored,
And their scriptures had yet to be compiled.
وَبَقِيتَ في عَدَدٍ يَسيرٍ بَعدَهُم
لَو سارَ وَسطَ مَراغَةٍ لَم يُرهِجِ
Only a few remained after them,
Had you marched amidst Maragha, none would have survived.
لا تُخبِرِ الأَقوامَ شَأَنَكَ كُلَّهُ
وَإِذا سُئِلتَ عَن الحَديثِ فَلَجلِجِ
Do not tell people of your situation,
And if asked, equivocate and hedge.
