عَلى المُتَرَدِّفاتِ بِكُلِّ خَرقٍ
نَحائِزُ كُلِّ مَنتَجِرٍ مُنيرِ
On she-camels, with all sort of saddle cloth,
We vie to possess each shining and glorious rider.
فَما بَلَغَت بِنا إِلّا جَريضاً
عَلى الأَعجازِ تُردِفُ كُلَّ كورِ
They barely give us a chance.
All the bright stars follow behind their necks.
بَلَغنَ وَمُخُّهُنَّ مَعَ السُلامى
بِكُلِّ نَجاءَ صادِقَةِ الضَريرِ
They reached, along with the dark-skinned pretty women,
Truthfully calling, every blind and sighted.
وَأَشلاءٍ لِناجِيَةٍ تَرَكنا
عَلَيها العاكِفاتِ مِنَ النُسورِ
And we left, for a wailing woman,
On her, vultures hovering, screaming.
كَأَنَّ رِكابَنا في كُلِّ فَجٍّ
إِذا دَبَّ الكُحَيلُ مِنَ الغُرورِ
As if our riders in every ravine,
When folly creeps, due to vanity,
نِعامٌ رائِحٌ في يَومِ ريحٍ
وَلَيسَت في أَخِشَّتِها بَعيرِ
Are ostriches running on a windy day,
With no she-camel in their midst.
وَلَكِن يَنتَجِعنَ بِنا فُراتاً
وَنيلاً يَطمُوانِ عَلى البُحورِ
But Euphrates and Nile gush for us,
And surge into the seas.
هُما في راحَتَيكَ إِذا تَلاقى
عُبابُهُما إِلى حَلَبٍ غَزيرِ
Meeting each other in your care,
Their flood reaches plentiful Aleppo.
بِهِم ثَبَتَت رَحى الإِسلامِ قَسراً
وَضَربٍ بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ الذُكورِ
Through them the millstone of Islam was firmly established,
And spread, by the spears of the honorable men.
تَوارَثَها بَنو مَروانَ عَنهُ
وَعَن عُثمانَ بَعدَ ثَأىً كَبيرِ
The Marwanids inherited it from them,
After a long absence since Uthman.
رَجاكَ المَشرِقانِ لِكُلِّ عانٍ
وَأَرمَلَةٍ وَأَصحابُ الثُغورِ
The East and West appealed to you in every turmoil,
As did the widows and people of the frontiers.
وَكُنتَ جَعَلتَ لِلعُمّالِ عَهداً
وَفيهِ العاصِماتُ مِنَ الفُجورِ
You had made a covenant with the governors,
In it ways to protect from corruption.
فَمَن يَأخُذ بِحَبلِكَ يَجلُ عَنهُ
عَشا عَينَيهِ مِنكَ بَياضُ نورِ
Whoever holds onto your rope, the white light of your eyes prevents,
His eyes from unlawful sights.
أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنتَ تَشفي
بِعَدلِ يَدَيكَ أَدواءَ الصُدورِ
O Commander of the Faithful, as you heal,
With the justice of your hands, the illnesses of hearts.
فَكَيفَ بِعامِلٍ يَسعى عَلَينا
يُكَلِّفُنا الدَراهِمَ في البُدورِ
How can an agent, who comes demanding from us,
Obliging us to pay dirhams in our abodes?
وَأَنّى بِالدَراهِمِ وَهيَ مِنّا
كَرافِعِ راحَتَيهِ إِلى العَبورِ
Whence are dirhams for us, when we are,
Like one raising his hands for help to cross.
