يا ابن كسرى كسرى الملوك أنوشر

وانِ قل لي ما هذه الأُكرومَهْ

O son of Kisra, Kisra of kings Anushirvan

And if I say what is this Okromah

قد أضاءتْ وأشرقتْ فاهْتَدى السا

ري بها في مهالكِ الديمومَهْ

It has illuminated and shone so the traveler was guided

Through it in the darkness of oblivion

راقتِ النَّاس منظراً ومَشمّاً

فهْيَ ريحانةٌ لهمْ مشمومه

People have enjoyed its sight and aroma

So it is a basil plant for them, perfumed

قسماً إن خُلّةً علِقَتْ مِنْ

كَ بحبل لخُلّةٌ مرحومه

I swear if a khulla was hung from you

With a rope, it would be a departed soul

ظُلِمَتْ بالرجاء فيك وإن كنْ

تَ كنفس فأصبحت مظلومه

It was wronged by hoping in you, though it was

Like a soul, so it became wronged

يا سميَّ الفتى الذي كان باباً

لِجحودِ المكارمِ المعدومه

O the finest young man who was once a gateway

To the ingratitude of non-existent virtues

كيف حالتْ بك الخلائقُ حتَّى

أصبحتْ بعد حمدِها مَذْمومه

How have creatures fared with you until

After their praise of you, you are now blamed

كيف زالت تلك المعالي فأضحتْ

بعدَما قد بنَيْتَها مهدومَهْ

How have those glories disappeared so that after

You built them, they are now destroyed

كيف مرَّتْ تلك المذاقةُ حتَّى

أصبحت بعد طِيبها مسمومه

How has that sweetness passed so that after

Its fragrance, it has now become poisoned

قد لعمري طمستَ مِنِّيَ وجْهاً

كنتَ فيما مضى تُقيمُ رُسومه

By my life, you have erased from me a face

That you used to establish its features

صرتَ قِطعاً من الظَّلامِ لأفْقٍ

بعدما كنت بدْرَه ونُجومه

You have become pieces of darkness for a horizon

After you were its full moon and stars

قلَّدَتْني يداك سِمْطاً من العا

ر خلافَ اللآلئ المنظومه

Your hands have saddled me with rags

Contrary to composed pearls

ولأنت الشريكُ في ذاك فاعْلمْ

غيرَ مظْنونةٍ ولا مَوْهومه

And you are the partner in that so know

It is unforeseen and unimagined

لم تَضَعْنِي إلا بِوَضْعك من نف

سِك فافهم جليَّةً مفهومه

You have only placed me in your position

So understand clearly what is inferred

بكَ حلَّ الملامُ لا بي بل النَّفْ

سُ التي أمَّلتكَ عين الملومه

Blame has befallen you, not me, but the soul

That enticed you with the eye of blame

كلماتٌ تَذُمُّ فعلك لا أص

لك كلا ولا تذمُّ الأَرُومه

Words that denounce your deed, no, and do not denounce virtues

You have wronged, you have wronged, what thing of yours

سَوْأتَى سوأتَى على أيِّ شيءٍ

منك أضحتْ أناملي مضمومه

Have my fingers become clasped over

My soul yearns for justice and wisdom both now blamed

لهفَ نَفْسِي على الدماثةِ والحك

مةِ كلتاهما مذْمومه

How did they not dissuade you from the act of disgrace

Whose consequences are ill-omened

كيف لم يردعاكَ عن فعلِ شَنْعا

ءَ قبيح رَواؤها مشؤومه

Is it worth fifty pounds of rubble, O you unjust in governance

And it is a small part of what you have promised, drowned

أبقدْري وزنتَ خَمسينَ رطلاً

من حطام يا ظالماً في الحكومه

In your allotted prayers

Stay silent over what I see from you, for I have

وهو جزءٌ مما وعدتَ ضئيلٌ

غَرِقٌ في صِلاتك المقسومه

No need in a gift with discord

And relieve yourself of worry and be happy with my advice

دُم على ما أراه منك فمالي

حاجةٌ في هديّةٍ بخصومه

May God relieve your anguished soul

The men are not to blame, but I with suffering

واطْرَحِ الهمَّ عنك وافرح بنصحي

فرَّجَ الله نفسك المهمومه

And a bent-over back worn out by loads

Or have you not realized that when my soul is mixed

للئامِ الرجال لا لي وجوهٌ

عانياتٌ وآنُفٌ مخزومه

With motes it remains incorruptible?

No man prospers who counts sins

أَوَ لمْ تدْر أن نفسي عن الما

ء إذا شابهُ القذى معصومه

Among the glories to be war spoils

My craving for you has been weaned, O Abu Yahya

لا يسودُ امرؤٌ يَعُدُّ الرزايا

في المعالي مغانماً مغنومه

By God, a weaned craving

And truthfully, a soul has deprived me of even

فُطِمتْ رغبتي إليك أبا يحْ

يى ويا رُبَّ رغْبةٍ مفْطومه

The slightest enjoyment of the deprived one

And when you have mocked me

ويميناً مَبْرورةً إنَّ نفساً

حَرَمَتْني الطفيفَ للمَحْرومه

With contempt, then it is you who are mocked

No man slighted my worth until he placed

ومتى ما غدتْ وقد شتَمتْنِي

باحتقارٍ فإنها المشتومه

The soul in the position of the deceased one

And I see you full of words, if I speak a saying

ما استخفَّ امرؤٌ بقدريَ حتَّى

بوَّأ النفسَ موقفَ المرحومه

For the inescapable requital foreordained

Except that I see your soldiers, if they

وأراك المليءَ إنْ قُلْت قولاً

لمجازاةِ حتمةٍ محتومه

Waged war on us, then ours would be the defeated one

Who did evil in deeds and words turned away

غير أني أرى جنودَك إن طا

لت بنا حربُنا هي المهزومه

From his brother of proven disputed case

I am one whom you have known, O Abu Yahya, when

من أساء الفِعال والقولَ ولَّى

عن أخيه ذا حُجَّةٍ مخصومه

Wanton insults were heaped on sanctuaries

My tyranny is the tyranny of one who flaunts, not with

أنا مِنْ قد عرفتَهُ يا أبا يح

يى إذا استهدر الهجاءُ قُرومه

Hidden enmity from a secret adversary

To gain victory and it clamored vehemently

سطوتي سطوةُ المجاهر لا ذي

بَغْيةٍ من مُناوئٍ مكتومه

It has been restrained from you for what you have done and laid waste

To the days of your marked glory

هاكها حرَّةً لحرٍّ تبدت

لانتصار فجعجعتْ مزمومه

I have attained satisfaction from you even if

It remained shut to my open eyes

زمَّها عنك ما فعلتَ وما أس

دَيْتَ أيامَ مجدكَ الموسومه

A discourse which if I held back would have been more appropriate

For me but a bitter time of restraint

بلغت بي رضايَ منك وإن كا

نتْ بعيني مفتوحةً مختومه

And peace be upon you from one of separation

And farewell to a severed khulla

خُطبةٌ لو كظمتُها كانَ أوْلى

بي ولكنْ مرةٌ مكظومه

وعليك السلام من ذي فراقٍ

ووداعٍ لخُلَّةٍ مَصْرومه