إِنّي إِذا ما الأَمرُ بَيَّنَ شَكَّهُ

إِنّي إِذا ما الأَمرُ بَيَّنَ شَكَّهُ

وَبَدَت بَصائِرُهُ لِمَن يَتَأَمَّلُ

وَبَدَت بَصائِرُهُ لِمَن يَتَأَمَّلُ

Indeed I, when the matter makes its doubt plain,

When matters become clear, though doubts obscure,

And its signs become apparent to whoever reflects,

And insights manifest for those who observe,

تَرى اللُّؤمَ فيهِم لائِحاً في وُجوهِهِم

تَرى اللُّؤمَ فيهِم لائِحاً في وُجوهِهِم

كَما لاحَ في خَيلِ الحَلائِبِ أَبلَقُ

كَما لاحَ في خَيلِ الحَلائِبِ أَبلَقُ

You see baseness in them, plain upon their faces,

You’ll see the craven among them, fear on their faces,

As a piebald horse stands out among the horses gathered for racing.

Like the blaze on mares who’ve lost their foals.

حَسِبتُم هِجائي إِذ بَطِنتُم غَنيمَةً

حَسِبتُم هِجائي إِذ بَطِنتُم غَنيمَةً

عَلى دَماءُ البُدنِ إِن لَم تَنَدَّموا

عَلى دَماءُ البُدنِ إِن لَم تَنَدَّموا

You counted lampooning me as booty, once you had grown fat;

You thought me done when you seized the spoils

Upon me be the blood of sacrificial camels if you do not regret it.

Over bodies not yet cold – unless you repent.