The King's Emissary  
rough translation from Arabic 
by Hafidh Ibrahim

 
Bedazzled was Kesra’s (Khosrow) emissary upon seeing Omar  
 
  Among the masses, a commoner, yet he was the leader 
 
For he was accustomed to the kings of Persia 
 
  Surrounded by walls of soldiers and guards for protection 
 
He saw him shrouded in sleep  
 
  And he saw Majesty in its most sublime meanings 

On the sand under the shade of a tree 
 
  Covered by a cloak, worn out by time 
 
In that instant, devalued became his esteem 
 
  Of kings and this World and its allures 
 
And then he made the statement that was to become an axiom 
 
 Passed down by generation after generation  
 
"You instituted justice among them hence you slept the sleep of the secure, untroubled!"