1. رَمَى أَهلَ نَهري بِابِل إِذ أَضَلَّهُم

    أَزَل عُمانيّ بِهِ الوَشمُ راضِعُ

    He assailed the people of Babylon’s two rivers, when they had been led astray

    by a lean-buttocked Omani, tattooed and base,

  2. بِسَبعينَ أَلفاً كُلُّهُم حينَ يُبتَلَى

    جَميعُ السلاحِ باسِلُ النَفسِ دارِعُ

    with seventy thousand, each of whom, when put to the test,

    was fully armed, brave in spirit, and clad in armor,

  3. مِنَ الشامِ حَتَّى صَبَّحَتهُم جُموعُه

    بِأَرضِهِم وَالمُقرَباتُ النَزائِعُ

    from Syria, until his hosts came upon them at dawn

    in their land, with the prized horses brought from afar.

  4. فَلَما رَأَوا أَهلَ اليَقينِ تَخاذَلوا

    وَرامُوا النَّجاةَ وَالمَنايا شَوارِعُ

    When they saw the men of sure faith, they abandoned one another

    and sought escape, while deaths closed in,

  5. عَلَى سَاعَةٍ لا عُذرَ فيها لِظالِمٍ

    وَلا لَهُمُ مِن سَطوَةِ اللَهِ مانِعُ

    at a moment when no wrongdoer had any excuse,

    nor had they any protector against God’s onslaught.

  6. فَظَلَّ لَهُم يَلوصُ بِهم حلَّ شَرّه

    تَزولُ لَهُم فيهِ النُّجومُ الطَّوالِعُ

    He kept seeking escape for them; his evil had settled upon them,

    and within it their rising stars faded away.

  7. يَجوسُهُم أَهلُ اليَّقينِ فَكُلُّهُم

    يَلوذُ حِذارَ المَوتِ وَالمَوتُ كانِعُ

    The men of sure faith ranged through them, and every one of them

    sought refuge for fear of death, with death close at hand.

  8. وَكَم غادَرَت أَسيافُهُم مِن مُنافِقٍ

    يَمُجُّ دَماً أَوداجُه وَالأخادِعُ

    And how many a hypocrite their swords left behind,

    his jugulars and neck veins spewing blood!

  9. قَتيل نَرَى مَا لا ينال وَفاته

    وَلاقَى ذَمِيماً مَوته وَهو خالِعُ

    We see him slain: what he could not attain had eluded him,

    and he met his death in disgrace, a rebel.

  10. عَوَى فَاستَجابَت إِذ عَوَى لِعوائِهِ

    عبيدٌ لهُم فِي كُلِّ أَمرٍ بَدائِعُ

    He howled; and when he howled, his howl was answered

    by slaves, with novelties of their own in every affair.

  11. وَمَا زالَ يَنوِي الغَيَّ مِن نوكِ رَأيِهِ

    بِعَمياءَ حَتَّى احتَزَّ مِنها المسامِعُ

    And he remained intent on error, through the folly of his judgment,

    in a blind venture, until he cut the ears from it;

  12. وَحَتَّى استُبيحَ الجَمعُ مِنهُم فَأَصبَحوا

    لِبَعضِ الأُلَى كانَت تُصيبُ القَوارِعُ

    and until their host was overrun, and they became

    subject to some of those whom calamities used to strike:

  13. فَريقانِ مَقتولٌ صَريعٌ بِذَنبِهِ

    شَقِيٌّ وَمَأسورٌ عَلَيهِ الجَوامِعُ

    two groups: one slain, struck down for his sin,

    wretched; the other a captive, with fetters upon him.

  14. فَأَضحَوا بِنَهرَي بابِلٍ وَرُؤوسهم

    نُجيزُ بِها البيدَ المَطايَا الخَواضِعُ

    Thus they lay at Babylon’s two rivers, while their heads

    we bore across the wastes on bowed riding beasts.

  15. لَعَمرِي لَقَد ضَلَّت وَدارَت عَلَيهِم

    بِما كَرِهُوا تِلكَ الأُمور الفَظائِعُ

    By my life, they surely went astray, and upon them turned

    those dreadful events, bringing what they loathed:

  16. عَصائِبُ وَلَّتكَ ابنَ دَحمَة أَمرَها

    وَذَلِك أَمرٌ يا ابنَ دَحمةَ ضائِعُ

    bands that entrusted you, son of Dahma, with their affairs.

    And that, son of Dahma, is an affair gone to ruin.