انْظُرْ بِحَقِّكَ في أَمْرِ الدَّواوِينِ
فالكلُّ قد غيَّرُوا وضْعَ القَوانينِ
Look into their affairs concerning finances
They have all changed the system of laws
لَمْ يَبْقَ شَيءٌ عَلَى ما كُنْتَ تَعْهَدُهُ
إلاَّ تَغَيَّرَ مِنْ عالٍ إلَى دُونِ
Nothing remains as you used to know it
Everything has changed from high to low
الكاتِبُونَ وَلَيْسُوا بالكِرامِ فما
منهمْ على المالِ إنْسانٌ بِمَأْمُونِ
The scribes are not generous so no one trusts them with money
They have all served through paying bribes
والكُلُّ جَمْعاً بِبَذْلِ المالِ قد خَدَمُوا
وما سَمِعْنَا بهذا غيرَ ذا الحِينِ
We have not heard of this until this time
So their payment is based on suspicion, not verification
فَهُمْ على الظَّنِّ لا التَّحْقِيقِ بَذْلُهُمُ
وما تَحَقَّقَ أمْرٌ مِثْلَ مَظْنُونِ
They got positions in worldly life and the love of positions
In worldly life took them out of the religion
نالوا مناصِبَ في الدُّنيا وأخْرَجَهُمْ
حُبُّ المَناصِبِ في الدُّنيا على الدِّينِ
Whenever they get expelled from the positions
Others occupy them like flies
قد طالَ ما طُرِدُوا عنها وما انْطَرَدُوا
إلاَّ وَقَومٌ عليها كالذَّبابينِ
Many times, the tails of the dogs were cut for them
Yet they were reemployed after cutting the awns
وطالما قُطِّعَ أَذْنابُ الكِلابِ لَهُمْ
فاسْتُخْدِمُوا بَعْدَ تَقْطِيع المَصارِينِ
Even a despicable person may benefit people sometimes
As well as others like flowers and plants
قَدْ يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى الحَشُّ مِنْ غَرَضٍ
وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ رَياحِينٍ وَبَشْنِينِ
They are like a bird carried by the wind flying above its carrier
While the wind scatters according to what it carries
ضُمَّانُ رِيحٍ بطَيْرٍ فَوْقَ طائِرِهِمْ
يَطِيرُ وَالرِّيحُ شُيَّاعٌ بِمَضْمُونِ
If it were possible for them to weigh money they would have taken
Scales to weigh it after domes
لَوْ أمْكَنَ الْقَوْمَ وَزْنُ المالِ لاتَّخَذُوا
لَهُ الموازِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِ القَبابِينِ
And they claimed the highest heavens, maneuvering
As a surveyor does with clay
وَمَسْحَهُمْ للسَّمواتِ العُلى افْتَعَلُوا
فِيها كما يَفْعَلُ المَسَّاحُ لِلطِّينِ
They do not care about the womb of the hidden from anyone
No, nor about the stoning of devils
وَلَمْ يُبالُوا بِرَحْمِ الْغَيْبِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ
كلاَّ وَلا بِرُجُومِ للشَّياطِينِ
Some honored and esteemed them out of need
But after that honor did not save them from humiliation
عَزُّوا وَأكْرَمهُمْ قَومٌ لَحَاجَتِهِمْ
ما نَالَهُمْ بَعْدَ ذَاكَ العِزِّ مِنْ هُونِ
And they accused people of being useless and looted
From them everything, known and hidden
وَطَاعَنُوا النَّاسَ بالأَفْلاءِ وَاسْتَلَبُوا
مِنْهُمْ بِهَا كُلَّ مَعْلُومٍ وَمَكْنُونِ
Of livestock, birds, yields
Crops, measured and weighed
وَمِنْ مَواشٍ وَأَطْيارٍ وَآتِيَةٍ
وَمِنْ زُرُوعٍ وَمَكْيُولٍ وَمَوْزُونِ
They have battles in the war of villainy as
The battle of Basus and the battle of Siffin
لَهُمْ مَوَاقِفُ في حَرْبِ الشُّرُورِ كَمَا
حَرْبُ البَسُوسِ وَحَرْبٌ يَوْمَ صِفِّينِ
They do not write detailed receipts with names
Except they state in what they write to him
لا يَكْتُبُونَ وُصُولاتٍ عَلَى جِهَةٍ
مُفَصَّلاتٍ بأسمَاءٍ وَنَبِيِينِ
From rights what that time of specifying
So listen, break and feel the wind, O wise one
إلاَّ يَقُولُونَ فِيما يَكْتُبُونَ لَهُ
مِنَ الحُقُوقِ وَماذَا وَقْتُ تَعْيِينِ
You are not the first oppressed and duped one
All of that is spent by Sheikh Youssef Abu Habib bin Latmin
فَاسْمَعْ وَكاسِرْ وَحَسِّ الرِّيحَ يا فَطِناً
فَلَسْتَ أَوَّلَ مَقْهُورٍ وَمَغْبُونِ
And for drinking alcohol and sleeping with sinners thereby
He savors pleasures with all kinds of indulgences
وَكُلُّ ذلِكَ مَصْرُوفٌ وَمَصرِفُهُمْ
لِلشِّيخِ يُوسُفَ أبي هَبْصِ بنِ لَطْمِينِ
And for the immoral, the debauched, and the corrupt
And for the great scandals
وَلِلشَّرَابِ وَتَبْيِيتِ الْخَطاءِ بِهِ
يَجْلُو الْعُقَارَ بِأجْناسِ الرَّياحِينِ
And for the high couches, the tall buildings
And for gardens that are developed and shops
وَلِلْعُلُوقِ وَأَنْواعِ الْفُسُوقِ مَعاً
وَلِلْخُرُوقِ الْكَثِيراتِ التَّلاوِينِ
And for sheep, chicken coops and types of fowls
And for the remainder fractions in calculations
وَلِلْبِغالِ الْوَطِيَّاتِ الرِّكابِ تَرَى
غِلْمانَهُمْ خَلْفَهُمْ فَوْقَ الْبراذِينِ
And for mattresses furnished in July
Above marble in lounges
وَلِلْمَنَادِيلِ فِي أَوْساطِ مَنْ مَلَكُوا
وَلِلْمَنَاطِقِ فيها وَالهمايِينِ
And for the sessions among them there is movement
And for warmth in the days of January
وَلِلرَّباعِ العَوَالِي الارْتِفاعِ بِناً
وَلِلْبَساتِينِ تُنْشَأُ وَالدَّكاكِينِ
I do not enumerate the types of foods
That the people have become creative cooks in
وَلِلْفَجَاجِ وَحُمْلاَنِ النَّعاجِ
وَأَطْيارِ الدَّجاجِ وَأَنْواعِ السَّمامِينِ
And for clothes, how many colorful garments
There are Iraqi, Indian and European
وَلِلشَّباذِي وَلِلأنْطَاعِ تُفْرَشُ في
تَمُّوزَ فَوْقَ رُخامٍ في الأَوَاوِينِ
And how much treasure of what kings have
That has equivalent whether stored or buried
وَلِلْمَجَالِسِ في أوْسَاطِها خَرَكٌ
وَلِلطَّنافِسِ في أيَّامِ كانُونِ
And how many lounge banquets were designated for them
To forget worries and amuse all the sad
وَلَسْتُ أَحْصُرُ أَلْوَاناً لأَطْعِمَةٍ
تَفَنَّنَ الْقَوْمُ فيها كُلَّ تَفْنِينِ
And how much jewelry of women that cannot
Be appraised by anyone in the whole world
وَلِلْمَلاَبِسِ كَمْ ثَوْبٍ مُلَوَّنَةٍ
فِيهَا العِرَاقِي مَعَ الهِنْدِيِّ وَالْبَوْني
So say to the Sultan of Egypt and Levant,
O victorious, clear proofs apparent
وَكَمْ ذَخائِرَ ما عِنْدَ المُلُوكِ لَها
مِثْلٌ فَمِنْ مُودَعٍ سَقْفاً وَمَدفُونِ
And whoever terrorizes by his sword
Swordsmen and possessors of knives
وَكَمْ مجالِسَ أُنْسِ عُيِّنَتْ لَهُمْ
تُنْسِي الهُمُومَ وَتُسْلِي كُلِّ مَخْزونِ
Reveal yourself in Aswan and whoever
Is with her from Upper Egypt without people
وَكَمْ حُلِيِّ نِساءٍ لاَ يُثَمِّنُهُ
مُقَوِّمٌ قَطُّ في الدُّنيا بِتَثْمِينِ
Her workers have looted her people
What cannot be by system or duty
فَقُلْ لِسُلْطَانِ مِصْرَ وَالشآمِ مَعاً
يا قَاهِراً غَيْرَ مَخْفِيِّ الْبَرَاهِينِ
You see each clerk looks for injustice for their looting
Many years and how many eras
وَمَنْ يُخَوِّفُ مِنْ سَيْفٍ بِراحَتِهِ
ذَوِي السُّيُوفِ وَأَصْحَابَ السَّكاكِينِ
They have looted the subjects; they left no one
Nor trusted the vulnerable Copts
اكْشِفْ بِنَفْسِكَ أُسْوَاناً وَمَنْ مَعَها
مِنَ الصَّعِيدِ بَلاَ قَوْمِ مَسَاكِينِ
Do not trust the money of those who steal it
And do not bring near the enemy of God and religion
عُمَّالُها قَدْ سَبَوْهُمْ مِنْ تَطَيُّبِهِمْ
ما لا يَكُونُ بَمَفْرُوضِ وَمَسْنُونِ
Leave the conquest of the Hellians and Franks together
And march with your young courageous horsemen
كُلٌُّ تَرَى كاتِباً لِلسُّوءِ يُنْظَرُهُ
لِنَهْبِهِمْ كَمْ كَذَا عامٍ وكَمْ حِينِ
And raid the worker of Aswan you will get
Gardens of Eden by benevolence and enablement
سَبَوُا الرَّعِيَّةَ لَمْ يُبْقُوا عَلَى أحَدٍ
ولا أَمانَةَ لِلْقِبْطِ المَلاعِينِ
And all his like among the Copts—invade them
For invading them is permitted forever
لاَ تَأمَنَنَّ عَلَى الأَمْوَالِ سَارِقَها
ولا تُقَرِّبْ عّدُوُّ اللهِ والدِّينِ
And loot them blessings they shared with you
As a peasant shares with landowners
وخَلِّ غَزْوَ هُلاكو وَالْفَرَنْسِ مَعاً
وانْهَضْ بِفُرْسانِكَ الغُرِّ المَيامِينِ
They agreed upon the money altogether
And seldom did they make ninety into twenty
واغْزُنَّ عَامِلَ أسْوانَ تنال بِهِ
جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ بإحْسَانٍ وَتَمْكِينِ
They made everyone who raised to them an account
Submit like obedient servants
وكُلَّ أمْثالِهِ في الْقِبْطِ أَغْزُهُم
فالغَزْوُ فِيهِمْ حَلالُ الدَّهْرِ والْحِينِ
So the Sheikh, the Pope, the father of Popes said
Who leads priests and prelates
وَاسْلُبْهُمْ نِعَماً قَدْ شاطرُوكَ بِها
كَما يُشاطَرُ فَلاَّحٌ الْفدَادِينِ
He is excused for what happened; he accepts
Either by fee of ink or soap
فَقَدْ تَواطَوْا عَلَى الأَمْوالِ أجْمَعِها
وَفَذْلَكُوا كُلَّ تِسْعِينٍ بِعِشْرِينِ
And for oil and lighting the churches, how much
And for the prepared flour for Eucharist
وَصانَعُوا كُلَّ مُسْتَوْفٍ إذَا رَفَعُوا
لَهُ الْحِسابَ بِسُحْتٍ كالطَّوَاعِينِ
Taken from ongoing charities thereby
Poured on the face or flipped by ladling
ورَبَّحُوهُ فقالَ الشَّيْخُ وَالِدُنا
قَسُّ الْقُسُوِسِ وَمُطْرَانَ المَطارِينِ
How can he accept the good from partnership
And drawing with inflection and pause?
مِنَّا لَهُ العُذْرُ فيما حَلَّ يَقْبَلُهُ
إمَّا بِرَسْمٍ مِدَادٍ أوْ لِصابُونِ
And how can he accept from it and from
Every pauper among them or pauper?
وَلِلزُّيُوتِ وَإيقَادِ الْكَنَائِسِ كَمْ
وَلِلدَّقِيقِ المُهَيَّا لِلْقَرابِينِ
So much they stole, so much injustice they did
So much they took the money of sultans
فَذاكَ في الصَّدَقاتِ الجَارِياتِ بِهِ
يُسْحَبْ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ أَوْ يُقْلَبْ بِسجِّينِ
I leave the sin and asking forgiveness
To the God for a people like insane ones
وَكيفَ يَقْبَلُ بِرّاً مِنْ مُصانَعَةٍ
ومِنْ سحابٍ بِتَحْرِيكٍ وَتَسْكِينِ
Some said, “He enumerated their revenue
And listed therein duty and dues”
وَكَيفَ يَقْبلُ مِنها مِنْ مُصاَنَعَةٍ
ومِنْ كُلِّ مِسْكِينَةٍ فيه وَمِسْكِينِ
So I said, “By Allah, my descriptions are not to expose
In my explanation and elucidation
كَمْ هكذَا سَرَقُوا كَمْ هكذا ظَلَمُوا
كَمْ هكذَا أخَذُوا مالَ السَّلاطِينِ
Rather, that is my effort, capability
And capacity in the holes of snakes
أتْرُكُ ذَنْبٍ وَسُؤالٌ لِمَغْفِرَةٍ
عِنْدَ الإلهِ لِقَوْمٍ كالمجانِينِ
وَقالَ قَوْمٌ لَقَدْ أَحْصَى مَنالَهُمْ
وَقامَ فِيها بَمَفْروضِ وَمَسْنُونِ
فَقلتُ وَاللهِ مَا وَصْفِي لأنشُرَها
فِيما يَقومُ بِهِ شَرحِي وَتِبيِينِي
وَإنَّما ذاكَ مَجْهُودِي وَمَقْدِرَتِي
وَطاقَتِي في حِجاناتِ الثَّعابِينِ
