تَعَجَّبَ قَومٌ لِصَفعِ الرَشيدِ

تَعَجَّبَ قَومٌ لِصَفعِ الرَشيدِ

وَذلِكَ مازالَ مِن دابِهِ

وَذلِكَ مازالَ مِن دابِهِ

Some people marveled at al-Rashid being slapped,

And that has always been his custom.

رَحِمتُ اِنكِسارَ قُلوبِ النعالِ

رَحِمتُ اِنكِسارَ قُلوبِ النعالِ

وَقَد دَنَّسوها بِأَثوابِهِ

وَقَد دَنَّسوها بِأَثوابِهِ

I pitied the sandals’ broken hearts,

For they had sullied them with his clothes.

فَوَاللَهِ ما صَفَعوهُ بِها

فَوَاللَهِ ما صَفَعوهُ بِها

وَلكِنَّهُم صَفَعوها بِهِ

وَلكِنَّهُم صَفَعوها بِهِ

For, by God, they did not slap him with them,

But they slapped them with him.