إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ قَضِيَّةً

إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ قَضِيَّةً

أُعيذُكَ أَن تَلقى بِها اللَهَ آثِما

أُعيذُكَ أَن تَلقى بِها اللَهَ آثِما

To you, Commander of the Faithful, I bring a grievance;

To you, O Commander of the Faithful, I present a case

I seek protection for you, lest you meet God guilty on its account.

I implore you not to face Allah as a sinner over it

أَلَستَ أَمينَ اللَهِ في الخَلقِ واجِباً

أَلَستَ أَمينَ اللَهِ في الخَلقِ واجِباً

عَلَيكَ لَهُم أَن تَستَرِدَّ المَظالِما

عَلَيكَ لَهُم أَن تَستَرِدَّ المَظالِما

Are you not God's trustee among His creatures, obliged

Are you not obliged to be Allah's trustee over the people

to reclaim for them what was wrongfully taken?

And for them take back wrongs?

أَفي العَدلِ أَن يُمسي أُسامَةُ ضارِياً

أَفي العَدلِ أَن يُمسي أُسامَةُ ضارِياً

عَلى أَخذِ أَموالِ الرَعِيَّةِ عازِماً

عَلى أَخذِ أَموالِ الرَعِيَّةِ عازِماً

Is it just that Usama should become rapacious,

Is it just that Usamah spend the night raiding

bent on seizing the subjects' wealth?

Determined to seize the wealth of the subjects?

يَشُنُّ عَليهِم كُلَّ يَومٍ إِغارَةً

يَشُنُّ عَليهِم كُلَّ يَومٍ إِغارَةً

وَيَنزُرُهُم مِمّا اِصطَفوهُ الكَرائِما

وَيَنزُرُهُم مِمّا اِصطَفوهُ الكَرائِما

Each day he launches a raid upon them,

He attacks them each day with raids

and strips them of the precious possessions they chose.

And deprives them of their cherished possessions.

وَأُقسِمُ إِن أَمسى وَأَصبَحَ جَمَّةً

وَأُقسِمُ إِن أَمسى وَأَصبَحَ جَمَّةً

ذَخائِرُهُ في النَفسِ وَالمالِ سالِما

ذَخائِرُهُ في النَفسِ وَالمالِ سالِما

And I swear, if evening and morning find him with abundant

I swear if he has spent the night and morning

treasures, safe in his person and his wealth,

With his soul and wealth secure

بِأَنَّكَ ما هَذَّبتَ بَغداذَ مِن أَخي

بِأَنَّكَ ما هَذَّبتَ بَغداذَ مِن أَخي

فَسادٍ وَلا اِستَأصَلتَ دَهرَكَ ظالِما

فَسادٍ وَلا اِستَأصَلتَ دَهرَكَ ظالِما

that you have not cleansed Baghdad of a man of

It is because you did not discipline Baghdad for the corruption of a brother

corruption, nor in all your days uprooted an oppressor,

Or root out oppression in your time.

وَأَنَّكَ ما أَغمَدتَ لِلجودِ صارِماً

وَأَنَّكَ ما أَغمَدتَ لِلجودِ صارِماً

شَهيراً وَلا جَرَّدتَ لِلعَدلِ صارِما

شَهيراً وَلا جَرَّدتَ لِلعَدلِ صارِما

and that, for generosity's sake, you have not sheathed a keen sword

And you have not sheathed the sword of generosity,

laid bare, nor unsheathed a keen sword for justice.

Famed, nor drawn the sword of justice.