تَذَكَّرتُ قَبلَ اليَومِ أَيَّةَ خَلَّةً

أَضَرَّت بِحَقّي عِندكُم وَهوَ واجِبُ

I remember the day before yesterday what offense

Has harmed my right with you, though it is a duty

وَما في قَناتي مِن وُصومٍ تَعيبُها

وَلا ذَمَّ رَحلي فيكُمُ مَن أُصاحِبُ

My spear is free of rust for you to blame

And no fault tarnishes my journey, though I accompany

وَتَعلَمُ إِن كاتَمتهُ الناسُ أَنَّني

عَلَيكَ وَلَم أظلم بِذَلِكَ عاتِبُ

You know though people hide it, that I

Blame not you, O son of Zubayr, though I upbraid

وَما أَنا راضٍ بِالَّذي غَيرُهُ الرِّضا

فَلا تَكذِبَنكَ اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ الكَواذِبُ

I am not pleased with he who alters contentment

So believe not the lies of Ibn Zubayr, the liars

رَأَيتُكَ تُقصيني وَتُشمتُ شانِياً

كَأَنِّي بِما لَم أَجتَرِم لَكَ رائِبُ

I saw you shunning me, exulting in my misfortune

As if I, though guileless towards you, were a wanted man

فَإِن كانَ مِن عِندي فَبَيِّن فَإِنَّني

لِصرمِكُمُ يا اِبنَ الزُّبَيرِ لَهائِبُ

If it comes from me, then explain it, for I

For your adversity, O son of Zubayr, am prepared

وَإِن كانَ مِن غَيري فَلا تشمِتِ العِدى

بِنا وَتَدارَك رَقعَ ما أَنتَ خارِبُ

If it comes from another, then do not exult in wrongdoing

Against us, and mend the rent that you have torn

وَإِن كانَ هَذا الصَّرمُ مِنكَ لِعِلَّةٍ

فَصَرِّح وَلا تُخفِ الَّذي أَنتَ راكِبُ

If this adversity comes from you for some reason

Then declare it and hide not that which you undertake

فَفي كُلِّ مِصرٍ قاسِطٌ تَعلَمونَهُ

حَريصٌ عَلى سِرِّي إِلَيكَ وَراهِبُ

For in every Egypt there is an evildoer you know

Keen regarding my secrets to you, and a slinking spy

أَرى الحَربَ قَد دَرَّت عَلَيكَ وَفِتنَةً

تَضَرَّمُ في الحافَاتِ مِنها المَحاطِبُ

I see war has brought upon you sedition

That injuries the outlying areas and their defenders

فَحَسبُكَ قَد جَرَّبتَني وَبَلَوتني

وَقَد يَنفَعُ المَرءَ الكَريمَ التَجارِبُ

You have tested me enough and tried me

And trials can benefit the noble man

أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنّي عَدُوُّ عَدُوِّكُم

وَيَشقى بِنا في حَربِكُم مَن نُحارِبُ

Do you not know that I am the enemy of your enemy?

And through our war he suffers who makes war on us

أُناضِلُ عَنكُم في المَغيبِ عَشيرَتي

وَأَمَّا بِنَفسي دونَكُم فَأضارِبُ

I struggle for you against my tribe when absent

But by myself, without you, I can smite

لَكُم بارِدُ الدُّنيا وَنشقى بِحَرِّها

إِذا عَضَّتِ الهامَ السُّيوفُ القَواضِبُ

For you the cold world, though we suffer its heat

When the hissing swords bite, the deadly shafts

فَلَسنا كِراماً إِن رَضينا بِذاكُمُ

وَلَم تَتَأَهَّب في الحَديدِ الكَتائِبُ

We are no nobles if we accept that from you

And the regiments in iron do not prepare

وَلَولا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ وَبَيعَتي

لَقَد كَثُرَت حَولي عَلَيكَ الجَلائِبُ

Were it not for the Commander of the Faithful and my oath

Many misfortunes against you would have overwhelmed me