كانَ لَكَ اللُّه يا أَبا الحَسَنِ

كانَ لَكَ اللُّه يا أَبا الحَسَنِ

مُنَجِّياً من طوارِقِ الفِتنِ

مُنَجِّياً من طوارِقِ الفِتنِ

May God be your helper, O Abu al-Hasan,

May Allah protect you, O Abu Al-Hasan

delivering you from the visitations of strife.

As a savior from the tyranny of tribulations

أَنتَ بآلائِكَ التي شَرُفَتْ

أَنتَ بآلائِكَ التي شَرُفَتْ

أَصْبَحْتَ عن سائر المديح غَنِي

أَصْبَحْتَ عن سائر المديح غَنِي

You, through your noble favors,

With your virtues that brought you honor

have come to need no praise at all.

You have become self-sufficient, without need for praise

أَبوكَ قد حازَ كّلَّ مَكْرُمَةٍ

أَبوكَ قد حازَ كّلَّ مَكْرُمَةٍ

وأَنتَ من بعدِهِ على السَّنَنِ

وأَنتَ من بعدِهِ على السَّنَنِ

Your father attained every honor,

Your father attained every glory

and after him you follow the same path.

And you follow in his footsteps

يا ابْنَ خُلَيْفٍ ويا أَجَلَّ فَتًى

يا ابْنَ خُلَيْفٍ ويا أَجَلَّ فَتًى

مثالُه في الزمانِ لم يَكُنِ

مثالُه في الزمانِ لم يَكُنِ

O son of Khulayf, O most exalted youth,

O son of a Caliph, O finest of youth

whose like has never existed in time.

Whose equal in this age does not exist

إِني بصرفِ الزَّمانِ مُمْتَحَنٌ

إِني بصرفِ الزَّمانِ مُمْتَحَنٌ

كذلك الحُرُّ مَعْدِنُ المِحَنِ

كذلك الحُرُّ مَعْدِنُ المِحَنِ

Indeed, I am tried by time's vicissitudes;

I am tested by the passage of time

thus the noble man is a mine of trials.

As is the way for free men, the mine of trials

وقد أَتاني الرسولُ يُخْبِرُنِي

وقد أَتاني الرسولُ يُخْبِرُنِي

أَنْكَ تبغِي الكتابَ غَيْرَ وَنِي

أَنْكَ تبغِي الكتابَ غَيْرَ وَنِي

And the messenger has come to me, telling me

And the messenger has come telling me

that you seek the book without flagging.

That you seek the script without reproach from me

ولي أَمورٌ تعوقُنِي فإذا

ولي أَمورٌ تعوقُنِي فإذا

أَنصفْتَ فاصْبِرْ فالوَقْتُ لم يَحِنِ

أَنصفْتَ فاصْبِرْ فالوَقْتُ لم يَحِنِ

And I have matters that hinder me; so, if

But matters impede me, so if you are just

you are fair, be patient: the time has not yet come,

Be patient - the time is not yet ripe

من وَرَقٍ راشِحٍ يلوحُ به

من وَرَقٍ راشِحٍ يلوحُ به

أَحْلَكْ حِبْرٍ يكونُ كَالقُطُنِ

أَحْلَكْ حِبْرٍ يكونُ كَالقُطُنِ

owing to damp paper, upon which appears

With paper that shines white

the blackest ink, becoming like cotton.

Ink as black as coal upon it

وكُلَّ يَوْمٍ أَقُولُ أُنْجِزُهُ

وكُلَّ يَوْمٍ أَقُولُ أُنْجِزُهُ

ونائباتُ الزَّمانِ تَصْرِفُني

ونائباتُ الزَّمانِ تَصْرِفُني

And every day I say, 'I shall finish it,'

And each day I say I will fulfill it

but time's calamities turn me aside.

But the turns of fate preoccupy me

فاقْبَلْ معاذِيرَ خادِمٍ كَلِفٍ

فاقْبَلْ معاذِيرَ خادِمٍ كَلِفٍ

في سِرِّه مادحٍ وفي العَلَنِ

في سِرِّه مادحٍ وفي العَلَنِ

So accept the excuses of a devoted servant,

So accept the excuses of a weary servant

who praises you in private and in public.

Praising you in secret and openly

واحكُمْ بما ترتضِيهِ فَهْوَ إِذا

واحكُمْ بما ترتضِيهِ فَهْوَ إِذا

رضيتَ عنه رِضاً عن الزمنِ

رضيتَ عنه رِضاً عن الزمنِ

And judge as you see fit; for that, if

And judge as you see fit, for if

you are pleased with it, is contentment with time.

You are pleased, it is pleasure to the age