أبا عُبيدةَ ما المسؤولُ عن خَبرٍ

أبا عُبيدةَ ما المسؤولُ عن خَبرٍ

يحكيهِ إلا سُؤالاً للذي سألا

يحكيهِ إلا سُؤالاً للذي سألا

O Abu Ubayda, the one asked about a report

O Abu Ubayda, who is responsible for news

recounts it only as a question for the one who asked.

That he only tells as an inquiry to one who asked?

أبَيتَ إلا اعتِراضَاً عن جماعتِنا

أبَيتَ إلا اعتِراضَاً عن جماعتِنا

ولم يُصبْ رأيُ من أرجا ولا اعْتَزلا

ولم يُصبْ رأيُ من أرجا ولا اعْتَزلا

You would accept nothing but dissent from our community,

You have refused except to object to our group

and the view of one who deferred judgment or withdrew was not sound.

And none's opinion has ripened or become secluded.

كذلكَ القِبلةُ الأولى مُبدَّلةٌ

كذلكَ القِبلةُ الأولى مُبدَّلةٌ

وقد أبَيتَ فما تَبغي بها بَدَلا

وقد أبَيتَ فما تَبغي بها بَدَلا

Likewise, the first direction of prayer has been changed,

Thus the first Qibla has been changed

yet you have refused, and seek no replacement for it.

And you have refused, so what substitute do you desire for it?

زعمتَ بهرامَ أو بَيدَختَ يرزقُنا

زعمتَ بهرامَ أو بَيدَختَ يرزقُنا

لا بل عُطاردَ أو بِرجِيسَ أو زُحَلا

لا بل عُطاردَ أو بِرجِيسَ أو زُحَلا

You claimed that Bahram or Baydakht provides for us—

You claimed Bahram or Baydakht provides for us

no, rather Utarid, or Birjis, or Zuhal.

No! But rather, Utarid or Burjiss or Zuhl.

وقلتَ إنَّ جميعَ الخلقِ في فَلكٍ

وقلتَ إنَّ جميعَ الخلقِ في فَلكٍ

بهمْ يحيطُ وفيهمْ يقسمُ الأجَلا

بهمْ يحيطُ وفيهمْ يقسمُ الأجَلا

And you said that all creation is within a celestial sphere,

And you said that all people are in an orbit

which surrounds them and apportions their lifespans among them.

It surrounds them and in it their time is partitioned.

والأرضُ كورِيَّةٌ حفَّ السماءُ بها

والأرضُ كورِيَّةٌ حفَّ السماءُ بها

فَوقاً وتحتاً وصارتْ نُقطةً مَثَلا

فَوقاً وتحتاً وصارتْ نُقطةً مَثَلا

And the earth is spherical, surrounded by the sky

And the Earth is spherical, the sky encompassed it

above and below, and has become a point by comparison.

Above and below, and it became an exemplary dot.

صَيفُ الجنوبِ شتاءٌ للشَّمَالِ بها

صَيفُ الجنوبِ شتاءٌ للشَّمَالِ بها

قد صارَ بَينهما هذا وذا دُوَلا

قد صارَ بَينهما هذا وذا دُوَلا

On it, summer in the south is winter in the north;

The south’s summer is the north’s winter in it

this and that now take turns between the two.

Between them this and that alternated.

فإنَّ كانونَ في صَنعا وقُرطبةٍ

فإنَّ كانونَ في صَنعا وقُرطبةٍ

بردٌ وأيلولُ يُذكي فيهما الشُّعَلا

بردٌ وأيلولُ يُذكي فيهما الشُّعَلا

For Kanun, in Sana'a and Cordoba,

So if January is in San’a and Cordoba

is cold, and Aylul kindles flames in both.

Cold, September in them kindles flames.

هذا الدليلُ ولا قولٌ غُرِرتَ بهِ

هذا الدليلُ ولا قولٌ غُرِرتَ بهِ

منَ القوانينِ يُجلي القولَ والعَمَلا

منَ القوانينِ يُجلي القولَ والعَمَلا

This is the proof; no claim that deceived you,

This evidence, and no deceived saying

drawn from the rules, clarifies speech and action.

From laws that clarify saying and doing.

كما استمر ابنُ موسى في غوايتهِ

كما استمر ابنُ موسى في غوايتهِ

فوعَّرَ السهلَ حتى خِلتَهُ جَبَلا

فوعَّرَ السهلَ حتى خِلتَهُ جَبَلا

Just as Ibn Musa persisted in his error,

Just as the son of Moses persisted in his misguidance

so he made the plain rugged until you thought it a mountain.

And roughed the plain until it was mountainous.

أَبلِغْ معاويةَ المُصغي لقولهِما

أَبلِغْ معاويةَ المُصغي لقولهِما

أني كفرتُ بما قالا وما فَعلا

أني كفرتُ بما قالا وما فَعلا

Tell Muawiya, who listens to what those two say,

Convey to Mu’awiyah, listening to both of them,

that I have repudiated what they both said and what they both did.

That I have disbelieved in what they said and did.