فَقُلتُ لِلنَفسِ هَذي مُنيَةٌ صَدَقَت
وَقَد يُوافِقُ بَعضُ المُنيَةِ القَدَرا
I said to my soul this is inevitable death
And it may concur with some of the predestined fate
كُنّا أُناسٌ بِنا اللَأواءُ فَاِنفَرَجَت
عَن مِثلِ مَروانَ بِالمِصرَينِ أَو عُمَرا
We were a people, gloom was upon us, so it dispersed
From the like of Marwan in Misr or Umar
مُشَمِّرٌ يَستَضيءُ المُظلِمونَ بِهِ
يَنكي العَدُوَّ وَنَستَسقي بِهِ المَطَرا
Prepared, the oppressed seek light from him
The enemy laments and we seek rain through him
ما النيلُ يَضرِبُ بِالعِبرَينِ دارِئَهُ
وَلا الفُراتُ إِذا آذِيُّهُ زَخَرا
Neither the Nile strikes its banks
Nor the Euphrates when its helper raged
يَعلو أَعالِيَ عاناتٍ بِمُلتَطِمٍ
يُلقي عَلى سورِها الزَيتونَ وَالعُشَرا
He ascends beyond the highest hardships with effort
Casting olives and grape vines upon its fence
تَرى الصَرارِيَّ وَالأَمواجُ تَلطِمُهُ
لَو يَستَطيعُ إِلى بَرِّيَّةٍ عَبَرا
You see the waves and billows pounding him
If only he could cross to the shore
إِذا عَلَتهُ ظِلالُ المَوجِ وَاِعتَرَكَت
بِواسِقاتٍ تَرى في مائِها كَدَرا
When the shadows of waves envelop him and stir
With tall waves in whose waters you see turmoil
بِمُستَطيعٍ نَدى بِشرٍ عُبابُهُما
وَلَو أَعانَهُما الزابُ إِذا اِنحَدَرا
With effort bringing the dew of good tidings
Even if helped by a downpour when it rushed
لَهُ يَدٌ يَغلِبُ المُعطينَ نائِلُها
إِذا تَرَوَّحَ لِلمَعروفِ أَو بَكَرا
He has a hand that defeats the givers when he attains it
When he enjoys doing good or is first to do so
تَغدو الرِياحُ فَتُمسي وَهيَ فاتِرَةٌ
وَأَنتَ ذو نائِلٍ يُمسي وَما فَتَرا
The winds blow then calm while tired
Yet you have an attainer who does not tire
تَرى الرِجالَ لِبِشرٍ وَهيَ خاشِعَةٌ
تَخاشُعَ الطَيرِ لِلبازِي إِذا اِنكَدَرا
You see men humbled before Al-Bishr while reverent
Like birds before the falcon if it stirred
مِن فَوقِ مُرتَقِبٍ باتَت شَآمِيَةٌ
تَلُفُّهُ وَسَماءٌ تَنضَحُ الدِرَرا
From above a watcher, Syrians spent the night
Enveloping him while the sky drizzled pearls
حَتّى غَدا لَحِماً مِن فَوقِ رابِيَةٍ
في لَيلَةٍ كَفَّتِ الأَظفارَ وَالبَصَرا
Until morning he was flesh atop a saddlecloth
In a night that restrained talons and sight
إِذا رَأَتهُ عِتاقُ الطَيرِ أَو سَمِعَت
مِنهُ هَوِيّاً تَشَظَّت تَبتَغي الوَزَرا
When free birds saw him or heard
From him a whinny, they broke apart seeking refuge
أَصبَحَ بَعدَ اِختِلافِ الناسِ بَينَهُمُ
بِآلِ مَروانَ دينُ اللَهِ قَد ظَهَرا
After the people differed amongst themselves
Through the family of Marwan the religion of God manifested
مِنهُم مَساعِرَةُ الشَهباءِ إِذ خَمَدَت
وَالمُصطَلوها إِذا مَشبوبُها اِستَعَرا
Among them the kindler of flames when it subsided
And the rightly-guided one when his passion flared
