أَميرَ المؤمِنينَ جُزيتَ خَيراً

أَميرَ المؤمِنينَ جُزيتَ خَيراً

أَرِحنا مِن قُباعِ بَني المُغيرَه

أَرِحنا مِن قُباعِ بَني المُغيرَه

O Commander of the Faithful, may you be well rewarded—

Commander of the Faithful, may you be rewarded with good.

relieve us of Qubāʿ of the Banū al-Mughīra.

Relieve us of Qubāʿ of Banū al-Mughīra.

بَلَوناهُ وَلُمناهُ فَأَعيا

بَلَوناهُ وَلُمناهُ فَأَعيا

عَلَينا ما يُمِرُّ لَنا مَريرَه

عَلَينا ما يُمِرُّ لَنا مَريرَه

We have tried him and reproached him, yet he has proved too much for us;

We tested him and reproached him, but he proved too much

how bitterly he makes us taste his bitterness!

For us; he does not twist his cord tight for us.

عَلى أَنَّ الفَتى نِكحٌ أَكولٌ

عَلى أَنَّ الفَتى نِكحٌ أَكولٌ

وَمِسهابٌ مَذاهِبُهُ كَثيرَه

وَمِسهابٌ مَذاهِبُهُ كَثيرَه

And yet the fellow is lustful and gluttonous,

Though the fellow is lustful and gluttonous,

garrulous too, with endless ways about him.

And a chatterbox, whose ways are many.

كَأَنّا حينَ جِئناهُ أَطَفنا

كَأَنّا حينَ جِئناهُ أَطَفنا

بِضَبعانٍ تَوَرَّطُ في حَظيرَه

بِضَبعانٍ تَوَرَّطُ في حَظيرَه

It is as though, when we came to him, we circled

It was as though, when we came to him, we had gathered

a male hyena trapped inside a pen.

Around a male hyena trapped in a pen.