أَلا لَهَفي عَلى المَلِكِ المُرَجّى

غَداةَ أَصابَهُ القَدَرُ المُتاحُ

Alas! My longing for the awaited king

The morning fate befell him.

أَلا أَبكي الوَليدَ فَتى قُرَيشٍ

وَأَسمَحَها إِذا عُدَّ السِماحُ

Alas! I weep for Al-Walid, the noble Qurayshi,

Their most generous when generosity is counted.

وإِجبَرَها لِذي عَظمٍ مَهِيضٍ

إِذا ضَنَّت بِدَرَّتِها اللِقاحُ

He who helps the great when they are down

When their resin drips its sap.

لَقَد فَعَلَت بَنو مَروانَ فِعلاً

وَأَمراً مايَسوغُ بِهِ القَراحُ

The Marwanids have surely done a deed

No decent person would approve.

فَظَلَّ كَأَنَّهُ أَسَدٌ عَقيرٌ

تُنَشَّرُ في مَناكِبِهِ الرِماحُ

So he remained like an unmilked lion

With spears bristling on his shoulders.

فَهَل لَكُم إِلى أَمرٍ رَشيدٍ

فَتَصطَلِحوا فَفي ذَاكُم صَلاحُ

Is there a prudent course for you

To make peace? In that is your success.

فَمالُكُم إِلى جَرَعِ المَنايا

وَأَسيافٌ بِأَيديكُم رَواحُ

Yet you are bent on the cup of death

With swords in hand, ever ready.

تَناكَرَتِ المَنايا كُلَّ يَومٍ

مُلَملَمَةٌ لَها رَهَجٌ مُباحُ

Death takes all, each day

Ravenous, permitted to indulge.

سَأَبكي ما بَكى جَزَعاً وَشَوقاً

حَمامٌ عِندَ مَكَّةَ مُستَباحُ

I will weep as a grieving, yearning dove weeps

At Mecca's wide open sanctuary.

حَذارِ حَذارِ أَن أُنجي قَسيّاً

كَتائِبَ لا يُمَيِّزُها الصَبَاحُ

Beware! Beware! Of being callous

On mornings that make no distinctions.