جاثَيْتُ سوّاراً أبا شملةٍ

جاثَيْتُ سوّاراً أبا شملةٍ

عندَ الإمامِ الحاكمِ العادلِ

عندَ الإمامِ الحاكمِ العادلِ

I sat knee to knee with Sawwār, Abū Shamla,

I knelt before the just and righteous Imam

before the imam, the just ruler.

Seeking justice against Abu Shamlah's injustice

فقال قولاً خَطَلاً كُلُّه

فقال قولاً خَطَلاً كُلُّه

عند الورى الحافي أو الناعِلِ

عند الورى الحافي أو الناعِلِ

Then he spoke words that were wholly foolish,

But he spoke complete nonsense

in the eyes of all people, barefoot or shod.

To the barefoot and the sandal-wearers alike

ما ذبَّ عمّا قلتُ من وصمةٍ

ما ذبَّ عمّا قلتُ من وصمةٍ

في أهله بل لَجَّ في الباطلِ

في أهله بل لَجَّ في الباطلِ

He did not dispel the stain I had spoken of

He did not deny my accusations against that slanderer

upon his kin; rather, he persisted in falsehood.

Rather he plunged into falsehood

وبانَ للمنصورِ صِدقي كما

وبانَ للمنصورِ صِدقي كما

قد بانَ كِذبُ الأُنوكِ الجاهِلِ

قد بانَ كِذبُ الأُنوكِ الجاهِلِ

And my truthfulness became clear to al-Manṣūr, just as

And my truthfulness became clear to al-Mansur

the ignorant fool's falsehood had become clear.

As did that ignorant fool's lies

يُبغض ذا العرش ومن يَصطفي

يُبغض ذا العرش ومن يَصطفي

من رُسْلِهِ بِالنِّير الفاصِلِ

من رُسْلِهِ بِالنِّير الفاصِلِ

He hates the Lord of the Throne and those He chooses

He who hates the Lord of the Throne and those

from His messengers, with the radiant light that distinguishes.

Among His messengers set apart

ويَشنأُ الحبرَ الجوادَ الذي

ويَشنأُ الحبرَ الجوادَ الذي

فُضِّل بالفضلِ على الفاضلِ

فُضِّل بالفضلِ على الفاضلِ

And he loathes the generous scholar who

And who reviles the generous ink

was preferred for his merit above the meritorious.

Preferred for its virtue over the virtuous

ويَعتدي بالحكمِ في مَعْشَرٍ

ويَعتدي بالحكمِ في مَعْشَرٍ

أدَّوْا حقوقَ الرُسْلِ للراسلِ

أدَّوْا حقوقَ الرُسْلِ للراسلِ

And he transgresses in judgment against a people

And who transgresses in judging that group

who rendered the messengers' dues to the Sender.

Who fulfilled the rights of the messengers to the Sender

فبيّن اللهُ تزاويقَه

فبيّن اللهُ تزاويقَه

فصارَ مثلَ الهائمِ الهاملِ

فصارَ مثلَ الهائمِ الهاملِ

So God exposed his deceptive embellishments;

So God exposed his ornaments

so he became like a bewildered, neglected wanderer.

And he became like a confused fool