أتاكم من يسترد الغصبا

ومن يثني الناهبين النهبا

One has come to you to reclaim what was usurped,

and to turn the plunderers back from plunder.

فاعتصموا بالعز عن لقائه

فان يحيى لا يطاق حربا

So seek refuge in might from an encounter with him,

for Yahya cannot be withstood in war.

قد جاءكم من فوقكم وأنتم

من تحته لو تسكنون السحبا

He has come to you from above, while you

are beneath him, even if you dwell among the clouds.

ومن رمى ما فوقه بحجر

عاد على هامته ملبا

And whoever casts a stone at what is above him,

the stone returns upon his crown and lodges there.

لا تحسبوا حصونكم ترده

عنكم فما غمد يرد غضبا

Do not think your fortresses will keep him

away from you; no sheath can ward off wrath.

معاقل لكنها تعقلكم

حتى دنى كانت عليكم ألبا

They are strongholds, but they fetter you,

until he draws near and they unite against you.

تجانفوا عنها فمن أبصر ما

يكرهه فارق من أحبا

Keep clear of them, for whoever sees what

he detests forsakes even one he loves.

لا تغلبوا جهلا على أنفسكم

فتصبحوا تحت التراب تربا

Do not let ignorance bring defeat upon you,

so that you become dust beneath the earth.

ومن يكلف نفسه مالم يطق

لم ينتظر في الأمر إلا الغلبا

And whoever burdens himself with what he cannot bear

can expect nothing in the matter but defeat.

وأجهل الناس ضعيف عاجز

شن على جَلد قوى حربا

And the most ignorant of people is a weak, helpless man

who wages war against one hardy and strong,

فكان ملقيا بنفسه إِلى

تهلكة تلقيه إرباً إرباً

thereby casting himself into

ruin that strews him limb from limb.

إن ابن إسماعيل قد أنذركم

ويل لمن ينذره ويأبا

Indeed, Ibn Isma'il has warned you;

woe to anyone he warns and who refuses!

الملك الظاهر ذو المجد الذي

إذا دعا داع نداه لبا

King al-Zahir, possessor of glory, who

answers whenever a supplicant calls upon his bounty,

وفاض حتى لو يقول وفده

لقال جوده لا ولا حسبا

and pours forth so freely that, were his visitors to say “Enough,”

his generosity would answer, “No—never enough.”

لو جاوزت سحب السما يمينه

رأيت في وجه السحاب الغلبا

Were his right hand to outstrip the clouds of heaven,

you would see defeat upon the clouds' face.

لا تسألن من سواه حاجة

يعدها يحيى عليك ذنبا

Never ask anyone but him for a favor;

Yahya would count it as a sin against you,

لأنه يسوءه أن أمرءاً

يسأل من سواه إلا الربّا

for it pains him that a man

should ask anyone but him—except the Lord—

كي لا يرى له شريكا في الذي

يهدى له من الثنا ويجبا

so that he sees no partner sharing

the praise offered him and gathered for him.

وعادة الناس إذا امرء كفى

في مغرم وسد أن يحبا

People's custom, when a man is spared

a financial burden and his need is met, is to feel affection.

لكنكم بين الثريا والثرى

أوسعتنا منك ومنهم عجبا

But you and they are as far apart as the Pleiades and the earth;

you have filled us with wonder at you and at them.

إذا كفوا السائل سروا وإذا

كفيته رحت بنفس غضبا

When they are spared a petitioner, they rejoice; but when

you are spared him, you go away with an angry soul.

ما كان قط قبل يحيى مثله

فقد سمعنا وقرأنا الكتبا

Never before Yahya was there anyone like him;

for we have heard, and we have read the books.

هذا الذي جند الإِله جنده

فهو لجند الله ينوى الحربا

This is he whose army is the army of God;

and he intends to wage war against God's army.

والله ما حض الحقيب معجز

وليس أخذه عليكم صعبا

By God, the [fortress] of al-Haqib is not beyond your power,

and taking it is not difficult for you.

بل في قلوب هؤلاء أحن

ظهرن للخصم فشد قلبا

Rather, there are grudges in these men's hearts;

they became plain to the adversary, and he took heart.

لم ترتضوا لبعضهم تصدراً

يوجب خطوة له وقربا

You did not accept precedence for some of them

that would bring him advancement and closeness.

وليس أخذه لهم مستكرا

من خارقات سعدك الملبا

Nor is his capture of them surprising,

among the wonders of your abiding good fortune:

سعد به عادى الأب له ابنه

والأبن عادى الأب ان تأبا

good fortune by which a father opposed his son for him,

and a son opposed his father if he refused.

والحمد لله الذي يجرى القضا

بعبده يحيى بما أحبا

And praise be to God, who brings the decree to pass

through His servant Yahya, as he desires.

ما في أصاب اليوم إلا وجل

صب عليه الخوف منك صبا

There is no one in Asab today but a frightened man;

fear of you has been poured upon him in torrents.

وقد أقام أهل كل قطعة

فيه عليها مأتما وندبا

And the people of every district have held

there, over their district, a mourning gathering and lamentation.

أدركهم شوم البعيثي الذي

عصى الإِله والنبي والصحبا

The ill fortune of al-Bu'aythi overtook them—he who

disobeyed God, the Prophet, and the Companions.

قال لهم أمر شريف جاءني

من عند ربي فأطيعوا الربا

He told them: “A noble command has come to me

from my Lord, so obey the Lord.

أحل لي القتل لقوم قد نهى

عن قتلهم محمد والنهبا

He has allowed me to kill a people whom

Muhammad forbade killing and plundering.”

وقال أهل العلم لا تعبوا به

فقد روى عن الإِله كذبا

And the learned said: “Pay him no heed,

for he has related lies on God's authority.”

فخالفوهم وأقتدوا بفعله

يا بئس ما اعتاضوا بجد لعبا

Yet they defied them and followed his example.

Oh, what a wretched exchange: frivolity for earnestness!

ما للبعثي اليوم ذكر في الورى

أين تراه اندثر أو تخبا

Today al-Ba'thi has no mention among mankind.

Where do you think he is—vanished, or hidden away?

أين دعاويه التي بها أدعى

وأين ولى جيشه المعبا

Where are his pretensions, with which he made his claims?

And where has his marshaled army fled?

اتاه حق مزهق باطله

ففر منه خيفة ورهبا

Truth came to him, extinguishing his falsehood,

so he fled from it in fear and dread.

فابلغ أمانيك وكن كما تشا

قلبا رؤفاً وصدرا رحبا

So attain your wishes, and be as you desire:

with a compassionate heart and a spacious breast.