مَن ذا على الدّهرِ يُعديني فقد كَثُرت

مَن ذا على الدّهرِ يُعديني فقد كَثُرت

عِندي جنايتُهُ يا مَعشَر الناسِ

عِندي جنايتُهُ يا مَعشَر الناسِ

Who will grant me redress against Time? For many are

Who could blame me, for many

its wrongs against me, O assembly of people!

Are my sins against him, O people

أخنى على المَلكِ المأمونِ كلكلُهُ

أخنى على المَلكِ المأمونِ كلكلُهُ

فَصارَ رَهناً لأحجارٍ وأَرماسٍ

فَصارَ رَهناً لأحجارٍ وأَرماسٍ

Its breast crushed King al-Ma'mun,

I betrayed the Caliph al-Ma’mun

so he became a hostage to stones and graves.

So he became hostage to stones and catapults

قد كاد ينهدُّ رُكنُ الدّينِ حين ثَوَى

قد كاد ينهدُّ رُكنُ الدّينِ حين ثَوَى

وَيَتركُ الناسُ كالفَوضَى بلا راسِ

وَيَتركُ الناسُ كالفَوضَى بلا راسِ

The pillar of faith was about to crumble when he was laid to rest,

The pillar of religion almost collapsed

and leave the people like a disorderly throng, without a head,

And people were left without a leader

حتّى تَداركَهُم باللَهِ مُعتصِمٌ

حتّى تَداركَهُم باللَهِ مُعتصِمٌ

خَيرُ الخلائفِ من أَولادِ عبّاسِ

خَيرُ الخلائفِ من أَولادِ عبّاسِ

until Mu'tasim, holding fast to God, came to their rescue,

Until Allah saved them through al-Mu'tasim

the best of the caliphs among the descendants of Abbas.

The best of caliphs among the Abbasids