أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنتَ والٍ

أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنتَ والٍ

شَفيقٌ لَستَ بِالوالي الحَريصِ

شَفيقٌ لَستَ بِالوالي الحَريصِ

Commander of the Faithful, you are a ruler,

O Commander of the Faithful, and you are a guardian

compassionate, not a grasping ruler.

Compassionate, not an avaricious ruler

أَأَطعَمتَ العِراقَ وَرافِدَيهِ

أَأَطعَمتَ العِراقَ وَرافِدَيهِ

فَزارِيّاً أَحَذَّ يَدِ القَميصِ

فَزارِيّاً أَحَذَّ يَدِ القَميصِ

Have you fed Iraq and its two rivers

Have you fed Iraq and its two rivers

to a Fazarite with a cropped shirt-sleeve?

So a peasant grabbed the hem of your shirt

وَلَم يَكُ قَبلَها راعي مَخاضٍ

وَلَم يَكُ قَبلَها راعي مَخاضٍ

لِيَأمَنَهُ عَلى وِركَي قَميصِ

لِيَأمَنَهُ عَلى وِركَي قَميصِ

And before this, no herder of pregnant she-camels would

And there was no shepherd of a woman in labor before him

have trusted him with the two haunches of a bucking beast.

To make him feel safe in the folds of his shirt

تَفَيهَقَ بِالعِراقِ أَبو المُثَنّى

تَفَيهَقَ بِالعِراقِ أَبو المُثَنّى

وَعَلَّمَ قَومَهُ أَكلَ الخَبيصِ

وَعَلَّمَ قَومَهُ أَكلَ الخَبيصِ

Abu al-Muthanna has grown pompous in Iraq,

Abu Muthanna rejoiced in Iraq

and taught his people to eat khabis.

And taught his people to eat porridge

سَتَحمِلَهُ الدَنيئَةُ عَن قَليلٍ

سَتَحمِلَهُ الدَنيئَةُ عَن قَليلٍ

عَلى سَيساءِ ذِعلِبَةٍ قَموصِ

عَلى سَيساءِ ذِعلِبَةٍ قَموصِ

Disgrace will carry him before long

Soon meanness will carry him for a little while

on the backbone of a swift, bucking she-camel.

On a ramshackle saddle cloth made of tattered rags