أَبا زَنَّةٍ لا زالَ جَدُّكَ هابِطاً

وَحَدُّكَ مَفلولاً وَسَعيُكَ خَياّبا

Abu Zanna, your ancestors are still descending

And your limit is broken, and your efforts are in vain

وَأَلحَقَكَ اللَهُ الكَريمُ بِعُصبَةٍ

فَتَحتَ إِلى ضَربِ الرِقابِ لَهُم بابا

And God Almighty has made you join a group

So you opened the door of beheading for them

فَكَم لَكَ في بَسطِ الرَدى مِن حَبائِلٍ

تَكونُ إِلى ما يَكرَهُ اللَهُ أَسبابا

So how many ropes do you have in spreading corruption

That lead to what God dislikes

أَلَستَ الَّذي أَغرى بِمَولاهُ جُندَهُ

وَعادَ وَما يَحوي مِنَ المُلكِ أَسلابا

Are you not the one who enticed his followers against their master

And he returned without anything left of the kingdom

وَعاوَدتَ فيمَن حَلَّ بِالشامِ ناظِراً

فَأَرمَلتَ نِسواناً وَفَرَّقتَ أَحبابا

And you returned to whoever settled in Damascus looking

So you widowed women and separated lovers

وَلَمّا عَمَمتَ الخَلقَ بِالفَقرِ وَالرَدى

فَبادوا وَأَوسَعتَ المَنازِلَ إِخرابا

And when you spread poverty and misery among people

They perished as you destroyed homes

عَمَدتَ إِلى مَن لا يُعَدَّدُ فَضلُهُ

وَلَو كانَ أَهلُ البَدوِ وَالحَضرِ حُسّابا

You turned to one whose virtues cannot be counted

Even if the nomads and settled people were accountants

جَهَدتَ لِكَي ما تَسلُبُ الدينَ عِزَّهُ

وَكُنتَ لِما لَم يُرضِ ذاّلعَرشِ طَلاّبا

You strove so that the religion would lose its glory

And you sought what would not please the Lord of the Throne

وَذَلِكَ كَيدٌ عادَ مِن قَبلِ ضَرِّهِ

هَباءً فَما أَخلى مِنَ الضَيغَمِ الغابا

That was a plot that returned to harm its maker

It vanished and did not spare the wicked ones

وَمَكرٌ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ حاقَ بِأَهلِهِ

وَعارِضُ بَغيٍ قَبلَ أَن يُمطِرَ اِنجابا

And cunning that, thank God, befell its people

And the ill wish of the transgressor before it could rain harm

وَلَم تَرجُ هَذا المُلكَ يَوماً وَإِنَّما

خَبُثتَ فَأَغرَيتَ الطُغاةَ بِمَن طابا

You have never wanted good for this kingdom, but rather

You were wicked and enticed the tyrants with one who perished

وَمَنَّيتَ أُمّاناً كَدينِكَ دينُهُ

وَلَو أَمهَلَتهُ البيضُ أَلفاكَ كَذّابا

You wished security for him like your religion is his

And if the white one had delayed, he would still find you a liar

حَوَيتَ صِفاتِ الكَلبِ إِلا حِفاظَهُ

فَفي الأَمنِ هَرّاراً وَفي الخَوفِ هَرّابا

You took on the traits of a dog except for its loyalty

Noisy with safety, but cowardly with fear

كَأَفعالِ مَن حاوَلتَ بِالخَتلِ نَفسَهُ

فَلا زِلتَ مَغلوباً وَلا زالَ غَلاّبا

Like one who tries to deceive himself

You still remain defeated and He remains the Conqueror

مُبيحُ حِمى الأَموالِ إِن زَمَنٌ نَبا

وَمانِعُ سَرحِ المُلكِ إِن حادِثٌ نابا

Permitting the sanctity of wealth to be violated if times get difficult

And preventing the kingdom from spreading if events become calm

إِذا اِجتابَ ثَوباً مِن عُلىً وَمَهابَةٍ

لَبِستَ مِنَ الفَحشاءِ وَالخِزيِ أَثوابا

If you dress in a garment of elevation and awe

You wear the clothes of vulgarity and disgrace

وَإِن عَدَّ مِرداساً وَنَصراً وَصالِحاً

لَدى الفَخرِ وَاِستَثنى شَبَيباً وَوَثّابا

And if you consider Mirdas, Nasr, and Salih time of pride

You single out Shabib and Waththab at the height of arrogance

بَجَحتَ بِهَنّاسٍ وَطُلتَ بِتَروَسٍ

وَزالا وَأَربابٍ تُضامُ فَلا تابا

You brag about Hannas and Tult with Tarwus

While they and the likes of them do not repent

وَبِالسَيفِ يَسطو حينَ تَسطوبِحيلَةٍ

وَيُنفِقُ أَموالاً وَتُنفِقُ أَلقابا

With the sword they impose when you impose with cunning

And spend wealth while you spend titles

تَنَزَّهَ عَن عُجبٍ مَعَ العِزِّ وَالغِنى

وَزِدتَ مَعَ الإِذلالِ وَالفَقرِ إِعجابا

He is above conceit with power and wealth

And you increased in admiration and pride despite humiliation and poverty

وَما دونَهُ لِلطالِبي العُرفِ حاجِبٌ

إِذا ما أَتَوا مِن دونِ بابِكَ حُجّابا

And below him the seekers of knowledge have a barrier

If they come to your door other than the appointed gatekeepers

وَما تَحتَ ذاكَ البابِ إِلا دَهائِمٌ

بِها عِشتَ لا طالَت حَياتُكَ أَحقابا

And beneath that door are only flattering sycophants

With whom you lived - may your life not be prolonged

لَئِن كُنتَ مِن قَومٍ لِئامٍ فَلَم تَزَل

أَقَلَّهُمُ خَيراً وَأَكثَرَهُم عابا

If you are from a villainous people, you have not ceased

To be the least good and most blamable among them

زَعَمتَ لَحاكَ اللَهُ أَنَّكَ تائِبٌ

وَما هَذِهِ الأَفعالُ أَفعالُ مَن تابا

You claimed that God has made you repentant

But these acts are not those of one who has repented

نَظارِتَرَ المَملوءَ بَأساً وَنَخوَةً

وَقَد مَلَأَ الغَبراءَ تُركاً وَأَعرابا

You challenged one filled with might and bravery

And he filled the dusty wasteland with Turks and Bedouins

فَما مَلَكُ الأَملاكِ وَالعَصرِ راضِياً

وَإِن غابَ عَمّا قَد جَنَيتَ فَما غابا

The King of Kings and the age is not pleased with you

Though he is unaware of what you have committed, he is not unaware

وَما هِيَ إِلّا عَزمَةٌ عامِرَيَّةٌ

تُقَطِّعُ آراباً وَتَبلُغُ آرابا

These are only mighty resolutions

That cut the Arabs to pieces and reach the Arabs