فإن عشت عاشوا خافضين بغبطة... أذود الرّدى عنهم وإن متّ موّتوا فكم قائل لا يبعد الله روحه... وآخر جذلان يسرّ ويشمت قال فتبسم المعتصم وقال كاد والله يا تميم أن يسبق السيف العذل، اذهب، فقد غفرت لك الصبوة، وتركتك للصبّية
If I live, they will live in comfort and happiness And I will protect them from death; but if I die, they will too. Many a man will say, ‘May God not send his soul far away,’ But many another will rejoice and gloat. Al-Mu'tasim smiled and said, ‘By God, the sword was about to foreclose any blame, Tamlm. Go, I have forgiven your childish recklessness and have left you alive for the sake of the children