نِداءٌ لِكُلِّ النّاسِ فالأَمْرُ أَعْظَمُ

وَأَنَّ أَميرَ المؤْمِنينَ الْمُقَدَّمُ

A call to all people, for the matter is great,

And that the Commander of the Faithful is foremost.

فأَمْرُ جَمِيعَ النّاسِ في كُلِّ مَوْطِنٍ

إلَيْهِ ومِنْهُ الْعَقَدُ والْحَلُّ أَلْزَمُ

The matter of all people in every place

Is to him and from him, binding and loosening.

ونَادِ بَنِيهِ الْغُرَّ سادَاتِ عَصْرِنا

فإنَّ بِهِمْ عِقْدَ الْمَعالِي يُنْظَمُ

And call his noble sons, the chiefs of our time,

For through them the garland of glories is strung.

ونَادِ بَني الْمَنْصورِ قَاسِمٍ الذي

بَنَى لَهُمُ مَجْداً يَجُلّ ويَعْظُمُ

And call the sons of Mansur Qasim, who

Built for them a glory that is majestic and great.

وَلَسْتُ أَخُصُّ الْفَرْدَ مِنْهُمْ بِمثْلِ ذا

ولكِنَّني للكُلِّ مِنْهُمْ أُعَمِّمُ

And I am not partial to any individual among them,

But to all of them I generalize.

وَنادِ رِجالَ الْعِلْمِ جَهْراً فإنَّهُمْ

بما جَاءَ في كَتْمِ الْبَيانَاتِ أعْلَمُ

And loudly call the men of knowledge, for they

Are most knowledgeable in what has come in the clear texts.

وهُمْ وَرِثوا الْمُخْتارَ فيما أَتَى بِهِ

وَوارِثُ هَذا الدينِ فيهِ الْمُقَدَّمُ

And they inherited al-Mukhtar in what he came with,

And the heir of this religion in it is foremost.

وناد رجالَ الطَّعْن والضَّرْبِ كُلَّ مَنْ

لَهُ عِنْدَ يَوْم الرَّوْع طِرْفٌ ولَهْذَمُ

And call the men of sarcasm and beating, all who

Have a glance on the day of calamity, and bite.

وكلَّ فَتى يَسْعَى إلى الْحَرْبِ طالِباً

مُناصَرَةً للحقِّ والحقُّ أقدمُ

And every young man who strives for war, seeking

To support the truth, and the truth is more ancient.

وقلْ للذي نادَيْتَ مِنْ كُلّ فِرقَةٍ

أَفي يقظَةٍ أم أنتمُ اليومَ نُوَّمُ

And say to those I called from every faction:

Are you awake or are you sleeping today?

وَمالَكُمُ عَقْلٌ إذَا كَانَ دِينُكُمْ

بِهِ طارَ ما بَيْنَ الْبرِيَّةِ قَشْعَمُ

And what mind do you have, when your religion

With it the wild lands between breezes fluttered.

أَمَا لَكُمُ فِكْرٌ فَكُلُّ مُفَكِّرٍ

يُؤَخِّرُ رِجلاً فيكُمُ ويُقَدِّمُ

Do you not have any thought? For every thinker

Delays one of you and puts another forward.

فَحِيناً رَمَوْكُمْ بالجُنونِ وتَارةً

يَرَوْنكُمُ في سَكْرَةٍ تَتَغَمْغَموا

So one time he accused you of madness, and another time

They see you drunk, babbling incoherently.

وكَمْ قائِلٍ قَدْ صِرْتُمُ مِثْلَ آلةٍ

يُقَلِّبُها في كِفَّةِ الدَّهْرِ أبْكَمُ

And how many have said you became like a machine

Flipped around in the palm of fate, mute.

وآخَرَ قالَ الأَمْرُ أَدْبَرَ عَنْكُمُ

فَدَبَّرَكُمْ مَنْ لَيْسَ للرُّشْدِ يَفْهَمُ

And another said: The matter has turned away from you,

So one who understands not guidance made you regress.

وكَمْ قَدْ أَطالُوا الْقَوْلَ في ذا وإنَّهُ

حَقِيقٌ بأنَّ الْقَوْلَ فيهِ يُعَظَّمُ

And how much they have prolonged speech about this, and it

Is truly deserving that speech about it be magnified.

وَأصْدَقُ منْ هَذا وَأوْلى بأَنكُمْ

تَرَكْتُمْ أمُوراً وَهْيَ أَوْلَى وأَحْزَمُ

And more truthful than this and more worthy that you

Have neglected matters, though they are more fitting and wise.

فَأوَّلُها لم تَقْبَلُوا نُصْحَ ناصِحٍ

يَرَى أَنَّه فيما يَنُوبُ المقَدّمُ

The first of them is that you did not accept the advice of an advisor

Who sees that in what befalls, the Commander is foremost.

وَثانٍ لَها قَدَّمْتُمُ في أمُورِكُمْ

غَبِيّاً إذا شُدْتُمْ بناءً يُهَدِّمُ

And secondly, for your affairs you put forward

An ignoramus, if you built a structure, he demolishes it.

يَحُلُّ أمُوراً مُحْكماتٍ عُقُودُها

وَفي كُلِّ حينٍ رَأيُهُ يَتَصَرَّمُ

He undoes firmly constructed affairs,

And his opinion in every era fluctuates and withers.

وَحَاشَاهُ مِنْ غِشٍّ لكُم غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ

جَهُولٌ لرأيِ الرُّشْدِ إنْ لاحَ مَغْنَمُ

Does he gather troops every year, sending them

With fines that are lofty and great?

أَفي كُلِّ عامٍ يَجْمَعُ الْجُنْدَ مُرْسِلاً

لَهُمْ بِغَراماتٍ تَجِلُّ وتَعْظُمُ

And if they near opening, he abandons them, so what do they have

With him? And if they die of hunger, he does not feed them.

وإنْ شارَفُوا فَتْحاً يَدَعْهُمْ فَما لَهُمْ

لَدَيْهِ وإنْ ماتُوا مِنَ الْجُوعِ مُطْعِمُ

And what was before this army, every time

They have nothing but hunger that defeats them.

وما قَبْلَ هَذا الْجَيْشِ في كُلِّ مرَّةٍ

فَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ شَيْءٌ سِوَى الْجُوعِ يَهْزمُ

And these people used to be comfortable with what

We gave the Najdis, so he rose up demolishing.

وَقَدْ كانَ هَذا النّاسُ في راحَةٍ بما

دَفَعْنا بِهِ النَّجْدِي فَقامَ يُهَدِّمُ

And he killed his envoys out of stupidity and hunger,

And that is a dishonor in the wilderness, hurting.

وَأَهْلَكَ رُسْلاً مِنْهُ جُوعاً سَفاهَةً

وَذَلِكَ عارٌ في الْبَرِيَّةِ مُؤْلِمُ

And how his deeds have saddened the heart of a loyal one

Pushing away anger in his essence, decisive.

وكَمْ أَوْحَشَتْ أَفْعَالُهُ صَدْرَ مُخِلْصٍ

يُدافِعُ غَيْظاً في الْجَوانِحِ مُبْرمُ

And it saddened what is between the Imam and his family

And children, so look into it if you understand.

وأَوْحَشَ ما بَيْنَ الإمامِ وأَهْلِهِ

وأَوْلادِهِ وابْحَثْ إذا كُنْتَ تَفْهَمُ

And the hands of all the dissenters in evil what

He plans became lofty and great.

وأيْدِي جَميعِ الخارِجينَ بسُوءٍ ما

يُدَبِّرُهُ صارَتْ تَجِلُّ وتَعْظُمُ

And were it not for him they would not have become kings while you

Are more majestic and foremost in the chests and greater.

وَلَوْلاه ما صارُوا مُلُوكاً وأَنْتُمُ

أَجَلُّ وأَوْلى في الصُّدورِ وأَعْظمُ

So do you have any false pride in the kingdom? For it

Has become war spoils among the people distributed.

فَهَلْ لَكُمُ ذَبٌّ عَلَى الْمُلْكِ فَهْوَ قَدْ

غَدا مَغْنَماً بَيْنَ الأَنامِ يُقسَّمُ

Your rarities in it are praiseworthy, and this is

Zabid, Hais, and Raziya are the greatest,

بَنَادِرُكُمْ فيها حَمُودٌ وَهذِهِ

زَبِيدٌ وحَيْسٌ والرَّزِيَّةُ أَضخَمُ

And the house of the jurist Ibn Ujayl, and after it

Hafash and Milhan, spoils that are looted.

وبَيْتُ الْفَقِيهِ ابنِ الْعُجَيْلِ وبَعْدَها

حفاش ومِلْحَانٌ مَغانِمُ تُغْنَمُ

And after this they decided to encamp

Upon the gate of Sanaa, which is higher and nobler.

وقَدْ عَزَمُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ ذا أَنْ يُخَيِّموا

عَلَى بابِ صَنْعا وَهْيَ أَعْلَى وأكْرَمُ

So say to the Commander of the Faithful, until when

Will one who understands not guide the matter of the kingdom?

فَقُلْ لأميرِ المؤْمِنينَ إلى مَتَى

يُدَ بَّرُ أَمْرَ الْمُلْكِ مَنْ لَيْس يَفْهَمُ

Do you tolerate the barren kingdom for his sake?

You want his satisfaction yet he demolishes the kingdom?

أتَسْمَحُ بالمُلْكِ الْعَقِيمِ لأَجْلِهِ

تُريدُ رِضاهُ وَهْوَ للمُلْكِ يَهْدِمُ

Make haste, Commander of the Faithful, for little remains

Before regret will not avail.

تَدارَكُ أَميرَ المؤمِنينَ الذي بَقِي

فَعَمّا قَليلٍ لَيْسَ يُغْنِي التَّنَدُّمُ

For you are beloved to the people, O Commander,

But he makes hearts weep and hurts.

فإنّكَ مَحْبُوبٌ إلى النّاسِ لامِرا

ولكِنَّهُ يُبكي الْقُلوبَ ويُؤْلِمُ

So which of your lands, before you

Relinquish it to other than you, do you organize?

فَأَيّ بلادٍ منْ بلادِكَ قَبْلَ ما

تُوسِّطُهُ في سِلْكِ غَيرِكَ تَنْظِمُ

For they only seceded due to his ill treatment,

And you, O son of the generous, know this.

فَما خَرَجَتْ إلا بِسوءِ صَنيعِهِ

وأَنْتَ بِذا يا بنَ الأكارِمِ تَعْلَمُ

And all expenditures of the wilderness were cut off

Though before him they were handed over to them.

وكُلُّ مَصاريفِ الْبَرِيَّةِ قُطِّعَتْ

ومنْ قَبْلِهِ كانَتْ إليْهِمْ تُسَلَّمُ

And how many stipends and garments and

Gifts we saw being distributed by you.

وكْم مِنْ جِراياتٍ ومِنْ كِسْوَةٍ ومِنْ

ضَحايا رأَيْناها لَدَيْكَ تُقَسَّمُ

So when he came, he left no remainder,

And you, O son of the Imams, know better.

فَلَمّا أَتَى لَمْ يُبْقِ منها بَقِيَّةً

وأَنْتَ بِذا يا بنَ الأَئِمَّةِ أَعْلَمُ

And the face of the kingdom, as you knew it,

Used to be radiant, and now it is dusty and gloomy.

وَقَدْ كانَ وَجْهُ الْمُلْكِ فيما عَلِمْتهُ

يَرُوقُ وفي ذا الْوَقْتِ أَغْبَرُ أَقْتَمُ

Everything you were accustomed to has shrunk from you

And between the wilderness you lack food.

تَقاصَرَ عَنْكُمْ كُلُّ ما تَعْهَدُونَهْ

وأَعْوزَكُمْ بَيْنَ الْبَرِيَّةِ مَطْعَمُ

And your relatives have attained, from poverty, traits

That are lofty and great.

وقَدْ نالَ أَرْحاماً لَكُمْ وَقَرابَةً

مِنَ الْفَقْرِ أوْصافٌ تَجِلُّ وتَعْظمُ

And they have become humiliated at the doors of men,

With no honorable person to honor them.

وَصارُوا بأَبْوابِ الرِّجال أذِلَّةً

ولَيْسَ لَهُمْ مِنْ مُكْرِمٍ قَطُّ يُكْرِمُ

And they became disgraced when they were noble kings,

And they reached a state that hurts and pains.

وهانوا وقَدْ كانوا مُلُوكاً أَجِلَّةً

وصارُوا إلى حالٍ تَضُرُّ وتؤلمُ

Do you not see your father's sons? For they

Have come to ask people while the matter is greater.

أَلَسْتَ تَرَى أَبْنا أَبِيكَ فإنَّهُمْ

غَدَوْا يَسأَلُونَ الناسَ والأَمْرُ أَعْظَمُ

If al-Mahdi saw his children as

We see them, tears for him would flow and gather.

فَلَوْ شاهَدَ الْمَهْديُّ أَوْلادَهُ كَما

نُشَاهِدُهُمْ أَضْحى لَهُ الدَّمْعُ يُسْجَمُ

Your subjects died of overt hunger,

And men whose virtues cannot be concealed died.

رَعَايَاكُمُ ماتُوا مِنَ الْجُوعِ جَهْرَةً

ومَاتَ رِجالٌ فَضْلُهُمْ لَيْسَ يُكْتَمُ

And that is not out of coercion, but

Ways for them were cut off, along which tears and blood flow.

وما ذاكَ مِنْ جَذْبٍ ولكِنْ تَقَطَّعَتْ

لَهُمْ سُبُلٌ يجري بها الدَّمْعُ والدّمُ

And you did not defend them from an enemy doubled over,

Nor did you show mercy while Allah is most merciful to creation.

ولَمْ تَدْفَعُوا عَنْهُمْ عَدُوّاً مُضَعّفاً

وَلَمْ تَرْحَموا واللهُ بالخَلْقِ أَرْحَمُ

And how many an advisor whose advice

You did not accept, though he came with the clearest truth.

وكَمْ ناصِحٍ لمْ تَقْبَلُوا مِنْهُ نُصْحَهُ

وإنْ جاءَ بالحَقِّ الذي هُوَ أَبْرَمُ

So is there an awakening for you after slumber?

Clarify for us, or are you for eternity asleep?

فَهَلْ لَكُمُ من يَقْظَةٍ بَعْدَ نَوْمَةٍ

أَبِينوا لَنا أَمْ أَنْتُمُ الدَّهْرَ نُوَّمُ

And is there any false pride in you about the kingdom? It is

On a turbulent, collapsing precipice.

وَهَلْ مِنْكُمُ ذَبٌّ عَنِ الْمُلْكِ إنَّهُ

عَلَى جُرُفٍ هَارٍ غَدا يَتَهَدَّمُ

If you were to accept what I say,

Then regret from you must prolong.

إذا أَنْتُمُ لضمْ تَقْبَلوا ما أَقُولُهُ

فَلا بُدَّ مِنكُمْ أَنْ يَطولَ التَّنَدّمُ

So my Lord, bear witness against them, for I

Gave advice while others made advice secret.

فيا رَبَّنا اشْهَدْ لي عَلَيْهِم فإنّني

نَصَحْتُ وغَيْرِي صارَ للنُّصْحِ يَكْتُمُ