وَقَفتُ بِأَعلى ذي قَساءٍ مَطِيَّتي

أُمايِلُ في مَروانَ وَاِبنِ زِيادِ

I stood at the summit of the rugged mountain pass

Gazing upon Marwan and the son of Ziyad

فَقُلتُ عُبَيدُ اللَهِ خَيرُهُما أَباً

وَأَدناهُما عُرفاً لِكُلِّ جَوادِ

And said: "Obaidullah is the best of fathers

And the most generous to every noble steed"

فَتى السِنِّ كَهلُ الحِلمِ قَد عَرِفَت لَهُ

قَبائِلُ ما بَينَ الدُنا وَإِيادِ

A young man in years, but old in wisdom, well-known to

The tribes from here to distant Eiad