الرقة البيضاء تشكو ولا

يعلم الا الله أحزانها

Raqqa the White laments, and none

but God knows her sorrows.

فاخبث الخلق بها عاكف

على الأذى يفد إيمانها

For the vilest of creatures dwells there, bent

on harm, crushing her faith.

اكذب خداع وشر الورى

باغ غدا يظلم فنيانها

The most deceitful trickster and the worst of mankind,

an aggressor who now oppresses her young men,

قد سلب الدولة أموالها

وانكر النعمة بل خانها

he has robbed the state of her wealth

and denied her favor—nay, betrayed her.

وكم اتى منكرة حقها

أن تسلب المنصب معوانها

And many a vile deed he committed merited

her stripping her helper of his post.

فاظهر التوبة عن جرمه

لكنه استبطن عصيانها

So he displayed repentance for his crime,

but inwardly harbored rebellion against her,

حتى إذا عاد إلى منصب

سواه قد آمن حرمانها

until, when he returned to a post

other than his former one, safe from her dismissal,

أغراه ما لاقاه من حلمها

فلم يزل يغمط إحسانها

the forbearance he found in her emboldened him,

so he never ceased belittling her kindness.

وهذه الرقة مبلوة

به ولا تعلم طغيانها

And this Raqqa is afflicted

by him, yet unaware of the tyranny in her midst.

قد جرد البارز من لحمها

ويات ذئبا يرتعي ضأنها

He has stripped away the exposed part of her flesh,

and become a wolf grazing on her sheep.

وقد اتاها عاريا فاكتسى

بالخز واستحقر اعيانها

And he had come to her naked, then clothed himself

in silk and scorned her notables.

وظل فيها آمرا مثلما

لو كان واليها وخزانها

And he kept giving orders there, just as

if he were her governor and her treasurers.

أعوذ بالله فمذ حلها

أيقظ للفتنة شيطانها

I seek refuge in God, for since he settled in her,

he has awakened her devil to stir up strife.

أمسى مدير المال فيها وقد

ادار ما خرب عمرانها

He became director of finance there, and

set in motion what ruined her prosperity.

يمد بالمكر شباكا غدت

اقواله تنسج بهتانها

He spreads nets with guile, now

woven from falsehood by his words.