اللَّهُ أَطفَأَ ما أَذكى أبو قَصَبَه

من حَربِهِ وَأَزالَ السِحرَ بِالغَلَبَه

God has extinguished Abu Qasabah’s flames

Of war, and dispelled sorcery with conquest

أَمرُ الخَليفَةِ وافاهُ عَلى عَجَلٍ

يَدعوهُ لِلحَقِّ لَمّا اِغتَرَّهُ كَذِبَه

The Caliph’s command reached him in haste

Calling him to truth when lies had led him astray

فَمَن أَرادَ سُؤالاً عَن قَضِيَّتِهِ

فَجُملَةُ الأَمرِ أَنَّ الحَقَّ قَد غَلَبَه

Let those who would ask of his affair know

That truth has prevailed overall

لَقَد شَفى النَفسَ أَن وافى بِهامَتِهِ

صَدرَ القَناةِ مَكانَ الصَدرِ وَالرَقَبَه

My soul found relief that his onslaught

Reached the breast of the channel instead of chest and nape

لَمّا اِستَمَرَّ جِماحاً في ضَلالَتِهِ

عادَت عَلَيهِ لِجاماً تِلكُمُ القَصَبَه

When he persisted lost in misguidance

Those staves recoiled and struck him down

كانَت عَصاهُ الَّتي غَرَّ الأَنامَ بِها

لَما يُقَرِّبُ مِن نارِ الوَغى حَطَبَه

The staff which he used to deceive people

When bringing firewood nearer to the flames of strife

يا خَجلَةَ القَلَمِ المَحمودِ إِذ ذَكَروا

أَنَّ البَراعَةَ لِلأَقلامِ مُنتَسِبَه

Oh shame of the vaunted pen, when they mentioned

That eloquence is attributed to pens

أَطَلَّ يَعثُرُ في أَذيالِ مِشيَتِهِ

مِنَ الحَياءِ وَيَلحى قَومَهُ الخَلَبَه

He stumbled, trailing his garments in shame

And his people smoothed over his clumsiness

قَد أَحزَنَتهُ شُماتاتُ السُيوفِ بِهِ

لَمّا وَلينَ وَأَضحىى حائِنَ العَصَبَه

The gloating of swords saddened him

When he grew weak and the clan betrayed him

كَم مِن حُسامٍ لَدى الهَيجاءِ مُنصَلِتٍ

لا يَردَعُ الدِرعُ حَدَّيهِ وَلا اليَلَبَه

How many sharp swords amidst the turmoil

No coat of mail or armor can withstand

يَنهَلُّ قَطرُ المَنايا مِن مَضارِبِهِ

كَأَنَّ مُزناً بِأَعلى مُزنِهِ سَكَبَه

Death's drops pour from their blades

As if a water-skin spilled from its carrier above

كَأَنَّهُ الجَدوَلُ السَيّالُ يَجذِبُهُ

كَفُّ النَسيمِ إِذا ما مَيَّلوا شُطبَه

As if it were the flowing stream pulled

By the palm fronds bending as they direct its course