1. Ask Malik, empowered on earth, opening the passes,
Walking with ruin following,

2. Ruin followed the obstinate Saluqi.
His people are the brave people and his army the great army,

3. His weapons and armor,
And the lofty palaces.

4. The greatest victory he attained,
He saw it as the miracle of ages,

5. When the warner came to him at the peak of his might,
From the unseen,

6. And something subtler than particles crept into his bowels,
He who takes refuge threw him down, and he went to take refuge.

7. A feeble specter he had been before the illness,
Like the engraved lion.

8. Helpless with the weapons of grief,
Laid down above the bed.

9. Neither his fortress shelters him from the hunter,
Nor his safety from what hurts.

10. Ask Malik, empowered on earth, opening the passes,
Walking with ruin following,

11. Ruin followed the obstinate Saluqi.
His people are the brave people and his army the great army,

12. His weapons and armor,
And the lofty palaces.

13. The greatest victory he attained,
He saw it as the miracle of ages,

14. When the warner came to him at the peak of his might,
From the unseen,

15. And something subtler than particles crept into his bowels,
He who takes refuge threw him down, and he went to take refuge.

16. A feeble specter he had been before the illness,
Like the engraved lion.

17. Helpless with the weapons of grief,
Laid down above the bed.

18. The crown does not deny headache
And ransom the head of the prince.

19. The fine gold ornaments
In mixing with silk.

20. The swords, the swords of war, brownish
In color from plunging into the flaming fire.

21. Red saddlebags lining them
And the spurt of the swift gallop.

22. Winking at each other in their inability,
Fall short of the palaces.

23. Ask about a father you left behind
Two bereavements with a broken heart.

24. Neither glory comforts him, nor
Bounty, nor great position,

25. And his friends before him
Can do nothing but sigh.

26. There is no solace in misery
And no joy in survival.

27. You are fortunate, you were not tempted
By this deceitful world,

28. And you turned away from it, O noble one,
Like turning away from bitter milk.

29. Better for one who is in the morning
Softly sleeping the sleep of dawn,

30. And perhaps the most comfortable corpse
Is one not troubled by conscience.