أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ لَقَد سَكَنّا

إِلى أَيّامِكَ الغُرِّ الحِسانِ

O Commander of the Faithful, we have settled

Into your virtuous, beautiful days.

رَدَدتَ الدينَ فَذّاً بَعدَما قَد

أَراهُ فِرقَتَينِ تَخاصَمانِ

You have firmly reestablished the religion after

I saw it split between two disputing factions.

قَصَمتَ الظالِمينَ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ

فَأَضحى الظُلمُ مَجهولَ المَكانِ

You vanquished the oppressors in every land

So oppression became absent and unknown.

وَفي سَنَةٍ رَمَت مُتَجَبِّريهِم

عَلى قَدَرٍ بِداهِيَةٍ عَوانِ

And in one year you threw their arrogant leaders

Into a visible abyss of recklessness.

فَما أَبقَت مِنِ اِبنِ أَبي دُؤادٍ

سِوى جَسَدٍ يُخاطِبُ بِالمَعاني

You left no remnants of the sons of Abu Du'ad

Except a body conversing with meanings.

تَعَرَّبَ بِاِرتِباطِ الجُرزِ حَتّى

رَمَتهُ في اليَدَينِ وَفي اللِسانِ

He became fluent in Arabic through conversing

Until you threw him by the hands and tongue.

وَما كانَت غِذاهُ زَمانَ يَشري

سَراطينَ الصَراةِ وَيَهرُبانِ

His food during the time when he commanded

The Sultans of Syria and fled from them

تَحَيَّرَ فيهِ سابورُ بنُ سَهلٍ

وَطاوَلَهُ وَمَنّاهُ الأَماني

Was questionable to Sapor ibn Sahl

And he fantasized and wished for safety.

إِذا أَصحابُهُ اِصطَبَحوا بِلَيلٍ

أَطالوا الخَوضَ في خَلقِ القُرانِ

When his companions arose at night

They discussed at length the creation of the Quran,

يُديرونَ الكُؤوسَ وَهُم نَشاوى

يُحَدِّثُنا فُلانٌ عَن فُلانِ

Passing cups as they became intoxicated,

With so-and-so telling us about so-and-so.

وَآخِرُ حادِثٍ أَنّا غَدَونا

نَعوذُ أَبا الوَزيرِ مِنَ الزَمانِ

The last news is that tomorrow we will visit

And seek refuge for Abu al-Wazir from time.

وَكانَ إِذا تَسَربَلَ كُلَّ قُبحٍ

وَساءَكَ في السَماعِ وَفي العِيانِ

Whenever he wore any ugliness

And you heard or saw evil from him,

أَهَشَّهُمُ إِلى غَيرِ المَعالي

وَأَضحَكَهُم إِلى غَيرِ الخِوانِ

You made them turn away from dishonor

And laugh at other than sincerity.