سَأُثني عَلى عَهدِ المَطيرَةِ وَالقَصرِ

وَأَدعو لَها بِالساكِنينَ وَبِالقَطرِ

I will praise the era of rainfall and the palace,

And pray for it and for its inhabitants with rain,

خَليلَينَ لي إِنَّ الدَما تَرَيانِهِ

فَصَبراً وَإِلّا أَيُّ شَيءٍ سِوى الصَبرِ

My two friends, you see the blood being shed,

So be patient, for what else is there but patience?

عَسى اللَهُ أَن يُتاحَ لي مِنهُ فَرجَةٌ

يَجيءُ بِها مِن حَيثُ أَدري وَلا أَدري

Perhaps God will make a deliverance possible for me,

Bringing it from where I know and do not know.

سَأَلتُكُما بِاللَهِ ما تُعلِمانِني

وَلا تَكتُما شَيئاً فَعِندَكُما خُبرِي

I asked you both for God's sake, do not conceal

Anything from me, for with you lies my news.

أَأَرفَعُ نيرانَ القِرى لِعُفاتِها

وَأَضرِبُ يَومَ الرَوعِ في ثَغرَةِ الثَغرِ

Shall I set fire to the quarters of their chastity

And strike on the day of panic in the mouth of the pass?

وَأَسأَلُ نَيلاً لا يُجادُ بِمِثلِهِ

فَيَفتَحُهُ بِشرِي وَيَختُمُهُ عُذرِي

Shall I ask for a boon the like of which is not granted,

So it opens with good omen and ends with my excuse?

وَيارَبُّ يَومٍ لا تُوَرّى نُجومُهُ

مَدَدتُ إِلى المَظلومِ فيهِ يَدَ النَصرِ

And O Lord of a day whose stars do not set,

On it I stretched out to the oppressed the hand of help.

فَسُبحانَ رَبّي ما لِقَومٍ أَرى لَهُم

كَوامِنَ أَضغانٍ عَقارِبُها تَسري

So glory be to my Lord! What people do I see who have

Hidden scorpions, their stings ready?

إِذا ما اِجتَمَعنا في النَدِيِّ تَضاءَلوا

كَما خَفِيَت مَرضى الكَواكِبِ في الفَجرِ

When we gather in the valley they dwindle away

Like the dimming of sick stars at dawn.

بَنو العَمِّ لا بَل هُم بَنو الغَمِّ وَالأَذى

وَأَعوانُ دَهري إِن تَظَلَّمتُ مِن دَهري

No, they are the sons of sorrow and harm,

And helpers of my fate if I complain of my fate.

وَغاظُهُمُ المَجدُ الَّذي لا يَنالُهُ

لَئيمٌ وَلا وانٍ ضَعيفٌ عَنِ الوِترِ

Their envy is honor which no miserable weakling attains,

Nor any debauchee far from the bowstring.

فَدونَكُمُ الفِعلَ الَّذي أَنا فاعِلٌ

فَإِنَّكُمُ مِثلي إِذاً وَلَكُم فَخري

The deed that I will do—you do the like!

For you are like me, and to you belongs my pride.

نَمَتني إِلى عَمِّ النَبيِّ خَلائِقٌ

عَلَوا فَوقَ أَفلاكِ الكَواكِبِ وَالبَدرِ

Qualities have raised me to the Prophet's uncle

Soaring above the orbits of the planets and the full moon.

بَنوا الحَبرِ وَالسَجادِ وَالكامِلِ الَّذي

وَفي المُلكَ حَتّى قَرَّ عِندَ ذَوي الأَمرِ

They are the sons of the ink and prayer rug and the Perfect One

Who in kingship continued until settled with the possessors of command.

وَنَحنُ رَفَعنا سَيفَ مَروانَ عَنكُمُ

فَهَل لَكُمُ يا آلَ أَحمَدَ في الشُكرِ

And we raised the sword of Marwan far from you—

O House of Ahmad, have you any thanks?

أَبو الفَضلِ أَولى الناسِ بِالفَضلِ كُلَّهُم

تَعالَوا نُحاكِمكُم إِلى البَيتِ وَالحَجرِ

Abu'l-Fadl, most deserving of all men of all merit—

Come, let us make you judge between us and the House and Stone.

وَيَومَ حَنينٍ حينَ صاحَ وَراءَكُم

فَجِئتُم وَكانَ المَوتُ أَقرَبَ مِن شِبرِ

And on the day of Hunayn when he shouted behind you

And you came though death was nearer than a span—

وَيا مَعشَرَ الأَنصارِ مَن كانَ عاقِداً

بِبَيعَتِكِم وَالدينُ في قَبضَةِ الكُفرِ

And O community of Helpers, whoever was bound

By your oath of allegiance, while the religion was in the grasp of unbelief—

لَولاهُ ما قَرَّت بِطَيبَةَ هِجرَةٌ

وَلَولاهُ لَم تَجرِ الجِيادُ عَلى بَدرِ

But for him no emigration would have alighted in al-Ta'if,

And but for him the steeds would not have charged at Badr—

أَقامَ بِدارِ الكِفرِ عَيناً عَلى العِدى

يُنَبّي نَبيَّ اللَهِ بِالكَيدِ وَالغَدرِ

He kept an eye on the enemies in the abode of unbelief,

Warning the Prophet of God about plots and treachery.

لِذَلِكَ لَم تَرقُد جُفونُ مُحَمَّدٍ

نَبِيِّ الهُدى حَتّى أُريحَ مِنَ الأَسرِ

Therefore the eyelids of Muhammad the Guide did not sleep

Until he was relieved of captivity.

وَرَدَّ عَلَيهِ ما لَهُ دونَ غَيرِهِ

فَإِن كُنتَ ذا جَهلٍ فَسَل كُلَّ ذي خُبرِ

And he turned back to him what was his right, not another's;

So if you are ignorant, ask any man of knowledge.

وَلَولا بُلوغُ السِنِّ مِنها وَكَفُّها

سَراجِيَهُ لَمّا أَتى آخِرُ العُمرِ

And but for her reaching maturity and holding back,

Sirajiyya, the last of life would not have come.

لَأَعطى أَبا حَفصٍ يُديرُ عِنانَها

وَما شَكَّ فيهِ وَالأُمورُ إِلى قَدرِ

He would have given Abu Hafs the reins to control her

And did not doubt him, for matters are subject to destiny.

أَلَم تَرَهُ مِن قَبلُ حينَ أَقامَهُ

شَفيعاً لِأَصحابِ النَبيِّ إِلى القُطرِ

Did you not see him before when he appointed him

Intercessor for the Prophet's Companions to the rulers?