مولايَ عبدُك يشتكي

مولايَ عبدُك يشتكي

ضعفاً يضاعِفُهُ بِعادُكْ

ضعفاً يضاعِفُهُ بِعادُكْ

My lord, your servant complains

My lord, your servant complains

of a weakness your absence only deepens.

of weakness that separation from you redoubles.

وودادُه لك ما علم

وودادُه لك ما علم

تَ فلَمْ يناقِضُهُ ودادُكْ

تَ فلَمْ يناقِضُهُ ودادُكْ

His love for you, as you know it,

And his love for you is what you have known;

will never be at odds with your love.

so your love has not contradicted it.

ولقد يظنّ فؤادُه

ولقد يظنّ فؤادُه

أشياءَ أضمرَها فؤادُكْ

أشياءَ أضمرَها فؤادُكْ

And indeed, his heart suspects

And indeed his heart suspects

things that your heart has kept concealed.

things your heart has kept hidden.

فبحقّ من جعلَ العُلا

فبحقّ من جعلَ العُلا

سوطاً تحُثّ به جيادُكْ

سوطاً تحُثّ به جيادُكْ

So, by Him who made high glory

So, by the right of the one who made high rank

a whip with which you spur your steeds,

a whip by which your steeds are spurred,

ورآكَ معدومَ النظي

ورآكَ معدومَ النظي

رِ يَبينُ بالفضلِ انفرادُك

رِ يَبينُ بالفضلِ انفرادُك

and saw you utterly without peer,

and saw you without a peer,

your uniqueness made manifest by excellence—

your uniqueness is plain through excellence—

انظُرْ إليه فلم يكنْ

انظُرْ إليه فلم يكنْ

ذهباً يُبهرِجُه انتقادُك

ذهباً يُبهرِجُه انتقادُك

look upon him: he has never been

look upon him, for he was not

gold your assay could expose as counterfeit.

gold that your assay would declare counterfeit.

هو روضةٌ حاشاكَ أنْ

هو روضةٌ حاشاكَ أنْ

تذوي وساقِيها عِهادُك

تذوي وساقِيها عِهادُك

He is a garden—far be it from you

He is a garden—far be it from you to let it

to let it wither, when your returning rains are its waterer—

wither while your recurring rains water it.

ومُرادُ شكرٍ لم يزلْ

ومُرادُ شكرٍ لم يزلْ

يجري بما يهوى مُرادُك

يجري بما يهوى مُرادُك

and an intent of gratitude that has never ceased

And the aim of gratitude has always

to flow wherever your purpose desires.

followed what your own will desires.

ويَريبه الإخلالُ من

ويَريبه الإخلالُ من

كَ وإنما الإخلالُ عادُكْ

كَ وإنما الإخلالُ عادُكْ

A broken promise from you fills him with doubt;

And neglect unsettles him when it comes from

yet promise-breaking has only paid you a visit.

you—yet neglect is merely your habit.

مهلاً أبا الحسَنِ الذي

مهلاً أبا الحسَنِ الذي

لم يكْبُ في كرَمٍ جوادُكْ

لم يكْبُ في كرَمٍ جوادُكْ

Gently, Abu al-Hasan—you whose steed

Gently, Abu al-Hasan, whose

has never stumbled in the course of generosity.

steed has never stumbled in generosity.

قل لي أطَرْدُك لي بذا ال

قل لي أطَرْدُك لي بذا ال

إعراضِ عنّي أمْ طِرادُك

إعراضِ عنّي أمْ طِرادُك

Tell me: is your driving me away through this

Tell me: is it your banishing me through this

aversion from me, or merely your playful chase?

turning away from me, or your jousting?

أم صحّ ما قال الوُشا

أم صحّ ما قال الوُشا

ةُ بما استرابَ به اعتِقادُك

ةُ بما استرابَ به اعتِقادُك

Or have the tale-bearers’ words proved true—

Or has what the slanderers said proved true,

some charge for which your judgment suspects me?

concerning what has stirred suspicion in your mind?

إن كان ذاك فأنْجَدَ ال

إن كان ذاك فأنْجَدَ ال

أعداءَ في قتلي نِجادُك

أعداءَ في قتلي نِجادُك

If so, then your sword-belt has helped

If that is so, then aid has come to the

my enemies to kill me.

enemies in killing me—from your sword-belt.

وتنكّرَتْ في مقلتيّ

وتنكّرَتْ في مقلتيّ

وأنت في سعدٍ بلادُكْ

وأنت في سعدٍ بلادُكْ

You have grown strange in my eyes,

And strange to my eyes have grown

while you prosper in your lands—

your lands, though you prosper,

في حيثُ لا يُروي سحا

في حيثُ لا يُروي سحا

بُكَ لي ولا يُوري زِنادُك

بُكَ لي ولا يُوري زِنادُك

there, where your cloud gives no water

where your cloud does not slake

to me, and your firesteel kindles no spark.

my thirst, nor do your fire-sticks kindle fire.