iron grew weary of clashing with iron, yet Shawar, in championing Muhammad’s religion (1), felt no weariness.

Time swore it would one day bring forth his equal; your oath is broken, O Time—make expiation! (2)

Al-ʿĀḍid then appointed Shīrkūh as vizier (3), but he did not remain long; he died of a throat ailment at al-Khānūq after two months and a few days (4), whereupon his nephew Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn succeeded him (5).

Asad al-Dīn Shīrkūh’s courage was proverbial, and the Franks feared him (6).

Ibn Wāṣil relates (7): “The emir Ḥusām al-Dīn ibn Abī ʿAlī told us:

‘My grandfather was in the service of Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn … He described the battle against the Sudanese guard (8) in Egypt, the encounter that ended their power together with that of the Ubaydid dynasty.

He said: Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn began requesting from al-ʿĀḍid horses, slaves, and funds so as to strengthen his own position. He therefore sent me to al-ʿĀḍid to ask him for a mount. I found him riding in his camphor garden; I made the request and he replied, “I have no steed but this one.” He thereupon dismounted, slit the soles of his riding boots, and cast them aside, and I brought the horse to Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn (9).’”

I say: al-ʿĀḍid’s fortunes with Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn continued to fade until the latter deposed him and delivered the sermon—