أَتَحلِفُ لا تُكَلِّفُني مَسيراً

إِلى بَلَدٍ أُحاوِلُ فيهِ مالا

Do you swear you shall not task me with a journey

To a land where I might seek to gather wealth,

وَأَنتَ مُكَلِّفي أَنبى مَكاناً

وَأَبعَدَ شُقَّةً وَأَشَدَّ حالا

While you force me to a place most unyielding,

More distant in reach, and more severe in plight?

إِذا سِرنا عَلى الفُسطاطِ يَوماً

فَلَقِّني الفَوارِسَ وَالرِجالا

If against Al-Fustat we should march one day,

Then cast against me your horsemen and your men,

لِتَعلَمَ قَدرَ مَن فارَقتَ مِنّي

وَأَنَّكَ رُمتَ مِن ضَيمي مُحالا

That you may know the measure of him you lost,

And that in your oppression, you sought the impossible.