فشرَّقت أبغي مطلع الشمس بالغنى

فشرَّقت أبغي مطلع الشمس بالغنى

وقد أشرقَت حتى امَّحَت ظُلمةُ الفقرِ

وقد أشرقَت حتى امَّحَت ظُلمةُ الفقرِ

So I journeyed east, seeking the sunrise of wealth,

I sought the rising sun with song

and it had shone until poverty’s darkness was erased.

And it rose until the gloom of poverty was erased

وشاكلَ ما خلَّفتُه ما وجدتُه

وشاكلَ ما خلَّفتُه ما وجدتُه

كأني بَريدٌ بين بَحر إلى بحرِ

كأني بَريدٌ بين بَحر إلى بحرِ

What I left behind resembled what I found,

What I left behind was like what I found

as though I were a courier from sea to sea.

As if I were a messenger between sea and sea

ولكنَّ ذا عذب المواردِ آمن ال

ولكنَّ ذا عذب المواردِ آمن ال

مقاصد معمور المشاهِد بالشكرِ

مقاصد معمور المشاهِد بالشكرِ

But this one has sweet watering places and safe

But the one whose springs are sweet and secure

approaches, its gathering places filled with gratitude.

Does not fear the inhabited sights with gratitude

له سفنٌ ردَّت على الريح حُكمَها

له سفنٌ ردَّت على الريح حُكمَها

فصارَت بما شاءَت وشاءَ لها تَجري

فصارَت بما شاءَت وشاءَ لها تَجري

He has ships that denied the wind its sway,

He has ships that turned back the winds' judgments

so they came to sail as they wished, and as he wished for them.

And went as they willed and as he willed they flowed

حَمولتُها ما بينَ مجدٍ مؤثَّلٍ

حَمولتُها ما بينَ مجدٍ مؤثَّلٍ

إلى خُلُقٍ رَحبٍ إلى نائلٍ غَمرِ

إلى خُلُقٍ رَحبٍ إلى نائلٍ غَمرِ

Their cargo ranges from deep-rooted glory

Their cargo between abundant glory

to an open-hearted nature, to overflowing bounty.

And ample character and abundant prosperity

صرفتُ بأدناها الزمانَ وصرفهُ

صرفتُ بأدناها الزمانَ وصرفهُ

مجازَفةً والنصرُ حيث أبو النصرِ

مجازَفةً والنصرُ حيث أبو النصرِ

With the least of them, I warded off Time and its vicissitudes,

I spent time in its lowliness and it spent me

taking a risk—and victory is wherever Abu al-Nasr is.

Gambling while victory is with the father of victory