أمير المؤمنين بلا إماره

أمير المؤمنين بلا إماره

وصاحب جيشه خلق العياره

وصاحب جيشه خلق العياره

The Commander of the Faithful is without authority.

The Commander of the Faithful without command

And his army’s commander is a threadbare rogue.

And his army's leader created trouble

ولابن قريعة القاضي حديث

ولابن قريعة القاضي حديث

تصفعن وهو أبرد من خياره

تصفعن وهو أبرد من خياره

And there is a tale of Ibn Qurayʿa the judge:

And Ibn Quray'ah the judge has a story

He has turned buffoon, and is colder than a cucumber.

That would make even vegetables shiver

وفي قاضي القضاة عيوب سوء

وفي قاضي القضاة عيوب سوء

تمعزل واستحل المال غاره

تمعزل واستحل المال غاره

And the chief judge has shameful faults:

As for the Chief Justice, he has terrible flaws

He withdrew into seclusion and deemed money lawful plunder.

He was dismissed and money was made lawful for him

وأمّا ذا الوزير فمن أوانا

وأمّا ذا الوزير فمن أوانا

وحسبك إن فطنت إلى الإشارة

وحسبك إن فطنت إلى الإشارة

And as for this vizier, he is from Awānā.

And this minister from way back when

And that suffices you, if you grasp the allusion.

It's enough if you understand my hint

فإن تكن الوزارة في أوانا

فإن تكن الوزارة في أوانا

خطناها لشيخ بني حراره

خطناها لشيخ بني حراره

So if the vizierate is in Awānā,

If the ministry is from our time

We would stitch it for the chief of Banū Ḥarāra.

We've reserved it for the Sheikh of Banu Hararah

وقلنا يا بني إسحاق ضرطا

وقلنا يا بني إسحاق ضرطا

تواضعت الإمارة والوزاره

تواضعت الإمارة والوزاره

And we said: O sons of Isḥāq, fart away!

And we said, O Sons of Isaac, relax

Rulership and the vizierate have sunk low.

Humility has come upon authority and ministry

وأشراط القيامة قد توافت

وأشراط القيامة قد توافت

وأعطى الفارة الهرّ الخفاره

وأعطى الفارة الهرّ الخفاره

And the portents of Judgment Day have already gathered,

And the portents of the Hour have come together

And the cat has paid the mouse protection money.

The poor hyena has scared the young lion

وما بقيت من الآيات إلا

وما بقيت من الآيات إلا

صعود الكركدن على المناره

صعود الكركدن على المناره

And none of the signs remains except

And of the signs, there remains only

The rhinoceros’s climb up the minaret.

The ascent of the little bull onto the minaret