Context:
Abu-Tammam recited this poem after the battle of Amorium, in which the Abbasid army invaded the second most important city in the Byzantine empire and systematically destroyed it.
The cause of the battle is that Byzantine army attacked the Abbasid borders and captured a number of Muslims as slaves including some women to be sold at Amorium market.
It is said that the news reached the Caliph while he was drinking a cup of water, he outraged and threw it, and immediately ordered his leaders to prepare for war.
Before the battle, a group of fortune tellers asked to meet the caliph for an emergency. They told him that he can't continue his campaign because of the appearance of a specific comet in the sky predicting a heavy loss for the Muslim army, and advised him to postpone the campaign for the next season.
He immediately ordered them out, considering their predictions as complete nonsense and continued towards Amorium achieving one of the greatest victories in the history of the Abbasid caliphate.
Note:
I guess that the translation requires much more improvement, if you have any corrections or suggestions please share in the comments. Thanks.
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