طَيفَ الخَيالِ حَمِدنا مِنكَ إِلماما
داوَيتَ سُقماً وَقَد هَيَّجتَ أَسقاما
The phantom of dreams we praised you as an imam
You cured illness and you also caused maladies
لِلَّهِ واشٍ رَعى زَوراً أَلَمَّ بِنا
لَو كانَ يَمنَعُنا في النَومِ أَحلاما
For Allah’s sake, an ignorant shepherd who wronged us
If only he could prevent dreams for us in sleep
بِتنا هُجوداً وَباتَ اللَيلُ حارِسُنا
حَتّى إِذا الفَلَقُ اِستَعلى لَهُ ناما
We spent the night sleepless while the night guarded us
Until dawn rose high and fell asleep
قَد قُلتُ وَالصُبحُ عِندي غَيرَ مُغتَبِطٍ
ما كانَ أَطيَبَ هَذا اللَيلُ لَو داما
I said at dawn while still not happy
How lovely this night would have been had it lasted
وَلائِمٍ في هَوى أَروى وَصَلتُ لَهُ
حَبلَ الخَليعِ بِحَبلِ اللَهوِ إِذ لاما
Blaming the one I passionately love, I reconciled with him
I tied the rope of frivolity with the rope of passion when he blamed me
عِندي سَرائِرُ حُبٍّ ما يَزالُ لَها
تَذكارُ عَهدٍ وَما يَقرِفنَ آثاما
I have secret loves that still
Recall the past and do not gather sins
لَولا يَزيدُ وَأَيّامٌ لَهُ سَلَفَت
عاشَ الوَليدُ مَعَ الغاوينَ أَعواما
If not for Yazid and days of the past
Al-Walid would have lived with the misguided for years
سَلَّ الخَليفَةُ سَيفاً مِن بَني مَطَرٍ
يَمضي فَيَختَرِقُ الأَجسادَ وَالهاما
The Caliph asked for a sword from the Bani Matar
To go forth and pierce through bodies and skulls
كَالدَهرِ لا يَنثَني عَمَّن يَهُمُّ بِهِ
قَد أَوسَعَ الناسَ إِنعاماً وَإِرغاما
Like fate it does not bend for anyone it intends
It made people submit to favors and coercion
حَمى الخِلافَةَ وَالإِسلامَ فَاِمتَنَعا
كَاللَيثِ يَحمي مَعَ الأَشبالِ آجاما
It protected the Caliphate and Islam so it refused
Like a lion protecting its cubs and uniting them
أَكرِم بِهِ وَبِآباءٍ لَهُ سَلَفوا
أَبقَوا مِنَ المَجدِ أَيّاماً وَأَيّاما
Honor it and its forefathers who preceded it
They left behind days and days of glory
تَرى العُفاةَ عُكوفاًحَولَ حُجرَتِهِ
يَرجونَ أَروَعَ رَحبَ الباعِ بَسّاما
You see the chiefs gathered around his room
Seeking the most splendid smile of the generous
يَقولُ لا وَنَعَم في وَجهِ حَمدِهِما
كِلتاهُما مِنهُ قَد تَمضي لِما راما
He says no and yes to both their praises
Both mean the same to him when he intends to do something
مَنِيَّةٌ في يَدَي هارونَ يَبعَثُها
عَلى أَعاديهِ إِن سامى وَإِن حاما
A victory at Harun's hands that he sends
Against his enemies whether they rebel or submit
خَيرُ البَرِيَّةِ آباءً إِذا ذُكِروا
وَأَكرَمُ الناسِ أَخوالاً وَأَعماماً
The best of creation are the forefathers when remembered
And the most dignified people are the uncles and paternal uncles
تَظَلَّمَ المالُ وَالأَعداءُ مِن يَدِهِ
لا زالَ لِلمالِ وَالأَعداءِ ظَلّاما
Money and enemies complained of his hand
He still sheds darkness on money and enemies
أَردى الوَليدَ هُمامٌ مِن بَني مَطَرٍ
يَزيدُهُ الرَوعُ يَومَ الرَوعِ إِقداما
Matar's ambitions that ruined Al-Walid
Yazid's courage intensifies his bravery
صَمصامَةٌ ذَكَرٌ يَعدو بِهِ ذَكَرٌ
في كَفِّهِ ذَكَرٌ يَفري بِهِ الهاما
A firm male whose fame a male fame pursues
In his palm a male fame with which he pierces the mind
تَمضي المَنايا كَما تَمضي أَسِنَّتُهُ
كَأَنَّ في سِرجِهِ بَدراً وَضِرغاما
Deaths pass as his tongue passes
As if his saddle carries a full moon and darkness
أَروى بِجَدواهُ ظَمَأَ السائِلينَ كَما
أَروى نَجيعَ دَمٍ رُمحاً وَصَمصاما
His sword quenched the thirst of the questioning as it did
Quench the thirst of spilt blood, a spear and a sword
لا يَستَطيعُ يَزيدٌ مِن طَبيعَتِهِ
عَنِ المَنِيَّةِ وَالمَعروفِ إِحجاما
Yazid by his nature cannot refrain
From fate and kindness no matter what
خَيلٌ لَهُ ما يَزالُ الدَهرُ يُقحِمُها
في غَمرَةِ المَوتِ يَومَ الرَوعِ إِقحاما
Horses that time always drives
Into the depths of death on the day of battle
إِذا بَدا رُفِعَ الأَستارُ عَن مَلِكٍ
تُكسى الشُهودُ بِهِ نُوراً وَإِظلاما
When a King surfaces, curtains are lifted
Light and darkness dress witnesses
أَقسَمتُ مانِمتَ عَن قَهرِ المُلوكِ وَلا
كانَ الخَليفَةُ عَن نُعماكَ نَوّاما
I swear you did not sleep from conquering Kings
The Caliph did not stop granting you favors
أَذكَرتَ سَيفَ رَسولِ اللَهِ سُنَّتَهُ
وَبَأسَ أَوَّلَ مَن صَلّى وَمَن صاما
You recalled the sword of Allah's Messenger and his Sunnah
And the might of the first who prayed and fasted
إِن يَشكُر الناسُ ما أَولَيتَ مِن حَسَنٍ
فَقَد وَسَعتَ بَني حَوّاءَ إِنعاما
If people thank your good deeds
You have provided the children of Eve with much favor
قَطَعتَ في اللَهِ أَرحامَ القَريبِ كَما
وَصَلتَ في اللَهِ أَرحاماً وَأَرحاما
You severed ties of kinship for Allah as you did join ties of kinship
Ties of kinships and more ties of kinships
إِذا الخِلافَةُ عُدَّت كُنتَ أَنتَ لَها
عِزّاً وَكانَ بَنو العَبّاسِ حُكّاما
When the Caliphate was counted, you were its
Glory, and the Abbasids were rulers
ما مِن عَظيمٍ قَدِ أَنقادَ المُلوكُ لَهُ
إِلّا يَرى لَكَ إِجلالاً وَإِعظاما
No dignitary whom Kings submitted to
Except sees you with veneration and prestige
يُصيبُ مِنكَ مَعَ الآمالِ صاحِبُها
حِلماً وَعِلماً وَمَعروفاً وَإِسلاما
Whoever hopes from you, attains with hopes
Wisdom, knowledge, goodness and Islam
كَم بَلدَةٍ بِكَ حَلَّ الرَكبُ جانِبَها
وَما يُلِمُّ بِها الرُكبانُ إِلماما
How many cities where you arrived
And the traveling company found no guide
إِذا عَلَوا مَهمَهاً كانَ النَجاءُ لَهُم
إِنشادَ مَدحِكَ إِفصاهاً وَتَرناما
When they face a problem, salvaging them
Is reciting your praise fluently and with melody
لَو كانَ يَفقَهُ القَولَ طائِرُها
غَنّى بِمَدحِكَ فيها بومُها الهاما
If its bird understood speech
It would sing your praises there making its mind busy
لَو لَم تُجِبكَ جُنودُ الشامِ طائِعَةً
أَضرَمتَ فيها شِهابَ المَوتِ إِضراما
If the Sham armies did not obey you willingly
You would ignite in it the flames of death
وَوَقعَةٍ لَكَ ظَلَّ المُلكُ مُبتَهِجاً
فيها وَماتَ لَها الحُسّادُ إِرغاما
And a battle where the kingdom remained joyous
While the envious died in it by force
رَدَدتَ فيها إِلى الإِسلامِ مظلَمَةً
سَوّى الإِلَهُ بِها فِهراً وَهَمّاما
You returned in it an oppressed right to Islam
Allah made it even between the deceitful and protector
لَو لَم تَكونوا بَني شَيبانَ مِن بَشَرٍ
كُنتُم رَواسيَ أَطوادٍ وَأَعلاما
If you were not humans, O Bani Shayban
You would be pillars of heights and flags
