أَبوكَ وَعَمّي يا مُعاوِيَ أَورَثا
تُراثاً فَأَولى بِالتُراثِ أَقارِبُه
Your father and uncle, O Mu'awiya, inherited
A legacy, so the relatives are more entitled to the legacy
فَما بالُ ميراثِ الحُتاتِ أَكَلتَهُ
وَميراثُ حَربٍ جامِدٌ لَكَ ذائِبُه
Yet you seized the legacy of the Hittites and consumed it
While the legacy of Harb remains intact, melting for you
فَلَو كانَ هَذا الحُكمُ في جاهِلِيَّةٍ
عَرَفتَ مَنِ المَولى القَليلُ حَلائِبُه
Had this been the rule in pre-Islamic times
You'd have known who has little camels among his relatives
وَلَو كانَ هَذا الأَمرُ في غَيرِ مِلكِكُم
لَأَدَّيتَهُ أَو غَصَّ بِالماءِ شارِبُه
Had this matter been outside of your rule
You'd have given it up or choked drinking its water
وَلَو كانَ إِذ كُنّا وَلِلكَفِّ بَسطَةٌ
لَصَمَّمَ عَضبٌ فيكَ ماضٍ مَضارِبُه
Had it been when we had the upper hand
A raging anger against you would have its swords striking
وَقَد رُمتَ أَمراً يا مُعاوِيَ دونَهُ
خَياطِفُ عِلوَدٍّ صِعابٌ مَراتِبُه
You've undertaken a matter, O Mu'awiya, beyond which
Are rough patches and difficulties in its levels
وَما كُنتُ أُعطي النِصفَ مِن غَيرِ قُدرَةٍ
سِواكَ وَلَو مالَت عَلَيَّ كَتايِبُه
I'd not give half without ability, except to you
Even if its writings were imposed upon me
أَلَستَ أَعَزَّ الناسِ قَوماً وَأُسرَةً
وَأَمنَعَهُم جاراً إِذا ضيمَ جانِبُه
Are you not the most honorable people and clan
And the best neighbor when their side is wronged?
وَما وَلَدَت بَعدَ النَبِيِّ وَأَهلِهِ
كَمِثلي حِصانٌ في الرِجالِ يُقارِبُه
And after the Prophet and his family no one was born
Like me, a stallion among men who rivals him
أَبي غالِبٌ وَالمَرءُ صَعصَعَةُ الَّذي
إِلى دارِمٍ يَنمي فَمَن ذا يُناسِبُه
My father is the victorious, and the man is as steadfast
As Darim, so who can match him?
أَنا اِبنُ الجِبالِ الشُمِّ في عَدَدِ الحَصى
وَعِرقُ الثَرى عِرقي فَمَن ذا يُحاسِبُه
I am the son of the Syrian mountains, innumerable
And my lineage is their bedrock, so who can take account of it?
وَبَيتي إِلى جَنبٍ رَحيبٍ فِناؤُهُ
وَمِن دونِهِ البَدرُ المُضيءُ كَواكِبُه
And my house has a spacious courtyard
With the shining moon and its stars below it
وَكَم مِن أَبٍ لي يا مُعاوِيَ لَم يَزَل
أَغَرَّ يُباري الريحَ ما اِزوَرَّ جانِبُه
And how many a father of mine, O Mu'awiya, never ceased
To be struck by the winds however much its sides were harmed
نَمَتهُ فُروعُ المالِكينِ وَلَم يَكُن
أَبوكَ الَّذي مِن عَبدِ شَمسٍ يُخاطِبُه
The branches of rulers grew yet your father was not
One addressed but a servant of Shams talking to him
تَراهُ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ يَهتَزُّ لِلنَدى
جَواداً تَلاقى المَجدَ مُذ طَرَّ شارِبُه
You see him as a sword blade trembling with dew
A steed who met glory since its rider first quenched his thirst
طَويلِ نِجادِ السَيفِ مُذ كانَ لَم يَكُن
قُصَيٌّ وَعَبدُ الشَمسِ مِمَّن يُخاطِبُه
Tall, long of sword since before there was
Qussay, while your father was one who addressed him
