دَعَوتَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَلَم تَكُن
هُناكَ وَلَكِن مَن يَخَف يَتَجَشَّمِ
You called upon the Commander of the Faithful, but he was not there.
Yet whoever fears, endures with fortitude.
وَإِنَّكَ إِذ تَدعو الخَليفَةَ ناصِراً
لَكَالمُتَرَقّي في السَماءِ بِسُلَّمِ
When you call upon the Caliph as a supporter,
You are like one climbing to heaven on a ladder.
كَذاكَ الصَدى تَدعوهُ مِن حَيثُ لا تَرى
وَإِن تَتَوَهَّمهُ تَمُت في التَوَهُّمِ
Thus you call upon an echo from where you cannot see.
If you imagine it, you will die in your delusions.
هَجَوتَ قُرَيشاً عامِداً وَنَحَلتَني
رُوَيدَك يَظهَر ما تَقولُ فَيُعلَمِ
You insulted Quraysh deliberately and attributed me to folly.
Restrain yourself; what you say will become clear and known.
إِذا كانَ مِثلي في قَبيلي فَإِنَّهُ
عَلى اِبنِ لُؤَيٍّ قَصرَةً غَيرُ مُتهَمِ
If one like me is in my tribe,
He is superior to the son of Lu'ayy, above reproach.
سَيَكشِفُكَ التَعديلُ عَما قَذَفتَني
بِهِ فَتَأَخَّرَ عارِفاً أَو تَقَدَّمِ
The testimony will uncover you from what you attributed to me.
So delay knowing, or go forward.
فَإِنَّ قُرَيشاً لايُغادَرُ وِدُّها
وَلا يُستَحالُ عَهدُها بِالتَرَحُّمِ
Indeed Quraysh does not neglect its affection,
Nor can its covenant be changed with commiseration.
مَضى سَلَفٌ مِنهُم وَصَلّى بِعَقبِهِم
لَنا سَلَفٌ في الأَوَّلِ المُتَقَدِّمِ
An ancestry from them has passed and prayed in our footsteps.
We have an ancestry in the early forefathers.
جَروا فَجَرَينا سابِقينَ بِسَبقِهِم
كَما اِتَّبَعَت كَفٌّ نَواشِرَ مِعصَمِ
They pulled so we pulled, preceding with their lead,
As a palm follows the palms at its base.
وَإِنَّ الَّذي يَسعى لِيَقطَعَ بَينَنا
كَمُلتَمِسِ اليَربوعِ في جُحرِ أَرقَمِ
Indeed, he who tries to cut between us,
Is like one seeking refuge in the den of a hyena.
أَضَلَّكَ قَرعُ الآبِداتِ طَريقَها
فَأَصبَحتَ مِن عَميائِها في تَهَيُّمِ
The beating of pots misguided you from their path,
So you became lost in their blindness, in confusion.
وَخانَتكَ عِندَ الجَري لَمّا اِتَّبَعتَها
تَميمٌ فَحاوَلتَ العُلى بِالتَقَحُّمِ
When you followed them in fleeing, they betrayed you.
Tamim tried the heights in clambering.
فَأَصبَحتَ تَرميني بِسَهمي وَتَتَّقي
يَدي بِيَدي أَصلَيتَ نارَكَ فَاِضرِمِ
So you have become throwing my arrows at me and guarding
against my hands with my hands. You ignited your fire, so kindle it!
