تركْنا لكُمْ دنياكُمُ وتخاضَعَتْ

تركْنا لكُمْ دنياكُمُ وتخاضَعَتْ

بِنَا هِمَمٌ قد كُنَّ فوق الفراقِدِ

بِنَا هِمَمٌ قد كُنَّ فوق الفراقِدِ

We left your world to you; low have sunk

We left for you your world and bowed down

our aspirations, once above the pole-stars.

With us are aspirations that were above the tombs

لئن نِلْتُمُ منها حُظوظاً لقد غَدتْ

لئن نِلْتُمُ منها حُظوظاً لقد غَدتْ

نفوسُكُمُ مذمومةً في المشاهدِ

نفوسُكُمُ مذمومةً في المشاهدِ

Though you have gained shares of it, now

If you got shares of it, your souls have become

your souls stand condemned in public gatherings.

Blameworthy in sights

كسوْتُم جُنوباً منكُم لِبْسَةَ القِلى

كسوْتُم جُنوباً منكُم لِبْسَةَ القِلى

وعرَّيْتُمُوها من لِباس المحامدِ

وعرَّيْتُمُوها من لِباس المحامدِ

You clothed your flanks in the garb of hatred,

You dressed some of you with the dress of disgrace

and stripped them of the raiment of virtues.

And stripped them from the dress of praise

فإن فخرتْ بالجُود ألْسُنُ معْشرٍ

فإن فخرتْ بالجُود ألْسُنُ معْشرٍ

عَضَضْتُمْ على صُغْرٍ بِصُمّ الجلامدِ

عَضَضْتُمْ على صُغْرٍ بِصُمّ الجلامدِ

So if a people's tongues boast of generosity,

So if the tongues of a group bragged about generosity

you bite solid boulders in humiliation.

You gnawed on pettiness with the deafness of frozen rocks

تَسمَّيْتُمُ فينا ملوكاً وأنْتُمُ

تَسمَّيْتُمُ فينا ملوكاً وأنْتُمُ

عبيدٌ لما تحوي بطونُ المزاودِ

عبيدٌ لما تحوي بطونُ المزاودِ

You style yourselves kings among us, yet you are

You called yourselves kings over us while you

slaves to what the bellies of provision-bags contain.

Are slaves to what the utensils contain

ومكَّنْتُمُ أذقانَكُمْ من نُحوركُمْ

ومكَّنْتُمُ أذقانَكُمْ من نُحوركُمْ

كأنَّكُمُ أولادُ يَحيَى بن خالدِ

كأنَّكُمُ أولادُ يَحيَى بن خالدِ

And you set your chins firmly against your throats,

And you enabled your chins over your necks

as though you were sons of Yahya ibn Khalid.

As if you were the sons of Yahya ibn Khalid

فلو أن أعناقاً تُمَدُّ لخيركُمْ

فلو أن أعناقاً تُمَدُّ لخيركُمْ

لقلَّدْتموها خاملاتِ القلائدِ

لقلَّدْتموها خاملاتِ القلائدِ

Were necks stretched out for your bounty,

So if necks were extended for your good

you would adorn them with paltry necklaces.

You would adorn them with necklaces lying down

متى آل وهب يَرْتَجي الرِّيَّ حائمٌ

متى آل وهب يَرْتَجي الرِّيَّ حائمٌ

إذا كنتُم مُلّاكَ سُبْل المواردِ

إذا كنتُم مُلّاكَ سُبْل المواردِ

When, O house of Wahb, can one circling in thirst hope to drink his fill,

When does Wahb hope for heavy rain while you

if you own the paths to the watering places?

Are the owners of the paths of supplies

لقد ذُدْتُمونا من مشارِبَ جَمَّةٍ

لقد ذُدْتُمونا من مشارِبَ جَمَّةٍ

وغَرَّقْتُمُ في غمرها كلَّ جاحدِ

وغَرَّقْتُمُ في غمرها كلَّ جاحدِ

You have indeed driven us from abundant drinking places,

You have kept us away from the waterholes of many

and drowned every unbeliever in their deep waters.

And drowned in its abundance every disbeliever

وأحيَيْتُمْ دينَ الصَّليبِ وقمْتُمُ

وأحيَيْتُمْ دينَ الصَّليبِ وقمْتُمُ

بتشيِيد أعْمارٍ وهدْمِ مساجدِ

بتشيِيد أعْمارٍ وهدْمِ مساجدِ

You revived the religion of the Cross and undertook

And you revived the religion of the cross and started

the building of monasteries and demolition of mosques,

Rebuilding structures and demolishing mosques

وإبطال ما كان الخليفة جعْفَرٌ

وإبطال ما كان الخليفة جعْفَرٌ

تخيَّرَهُ زِيّا لكلِّ مُعاندِ

تخيَّرَهُ زِيّا لكلِّ مُعاندِ

and the abolition of what the caliph Jaʿfar

And nullifying what Caliph Ja’far

had chosen as garb for every defiant opponent.

Chose as attire for every obstinate

ومَلَّكْتُمُ لَيْثاً كُنوزاً مصونةً

ومَلَّكْتُمُ لَيْثاً كُنوزاً مصونةً

بِبذْلٍ لأعراضٍ ومنْع مواعدِ

بِبذْلٍ لأعراضٍ ومنْع مواعدِ

And you made Layth master of guarded treasures,

And you empowered a lion treasures preserved

by squandering reputations and withholding promised gifts.

By giving up honors and preventing appointments

فكلُّ الذي أظهَرْتُمُ من فَعَالِكُمْ

فكلُّ الذي أظهَرْتُمُ من فَعَالِكُمْ

دَليلٌ على تصديق خُبْث الموالدِ

دَليلٌ على تصديق خُبْث الموالدِ

For all that you have shown of your deeds

So everything you have shown of your deeds

is proof confirming the foulness of your birth.

Is evidence of the corruption of lineages

لكم نعمةٌ أضحتْ لضِيق صُدوركُمْ

لكم نعمةٌ أضحتْ لضِيق صُدوركُمْ

مُبَرَّأَةً من كل مُثْن وحامدِ

مُبَرَّأَةً من كل مُثْن وحامدِ

You have a fortune which, through your narrow hearts, has become

You have a blessing that has become due to your narrow chests

devoid of anyone to commend or praise it.

Absolved from every praise and praiser

كَسَبْتُمْ يساراً واكتَسبتم ببخلِكمْ

كَسَبْتُمْ يساراً واكتَسبتم ببخلِكمْ

شَناراً عليكم باقياً غير بائدِ

شَناراً عليكم باقياً غير بائدِ

You gained wealth, and through your stinginess earned

You have earned ease and your stinginess has earned you

a lasting disgrace upon you, never to fade.

Continuous disgrace that does not perish

فإن هي زالت عنكُمُ فزوالُها

فإن هي زالت عنكُمُ فزوالُها

يُجدِّدُ إنعاماً على كل ماجدِ

يُجدِّدُ إنعاماً على كل ماجدِ

And if it leaves you, its departure

So if it disappears from you, its disappearance

will bring fresh blessing to every noble man.

Renews grants upon every glorious

ولو أن وهباً كان أعْدى أكفّكُم

ولو أن وهباً كان أعْدى أكفّكُم

على البخل من جُود استه بالأوابدِ

على البخل من جُود استه بالأوابدِ

Had Wahb infected your palms,

And if Wahb's hand was more stingy than your hands

despite their stinginess, with some of his arse's generosity with marvels,

On stinginess than his generosity with permanent things

لظلَّتْ على العافين أسْمَحَ بالندى

لظلَّتْ على العافين أسْمَحَ بالندى

من الهاطلات البارقات الرواعد

من الهاطلات البارقات الرواعد

they would have remained more lavish with bounty toward petitioners

The gentle rain would have stayed over the healthy

than clouds pouring rain, flashing lightning, and thundering.

More pouring than the flashing lightnings

وعلَّ سميَّ المبتلى في جبينه

وعلَّ سميَّ المبتلى في جبينه

سيأخذ بالثارات من كل فاسدِ

سيأخذ بالثارات من كل فاسدِ

And perhaps the namesake of the one tried upon his brow

And the forehead of the afflicted highborn would be marked

will exact vengeance from every corrupt man.

He will take revenge on every corrupt