دامت لك الصالحاتُ والنِّعَمُ

دامت لك الصالحاتُ والنِّعَمُ

ولا أغبَّتْكَ منهما الدِّيمُ

ولا أغبَّتْكَ منهما الدِّيمُ

May good things and blessings endure for you,

May you be blessed with goodness and bounty,

and may their steady showers never fail you.

And may they not abandon you,

يا ابن الذين اشْمَخَرَّ مجْدُهُمُ

يا ابن الذين اشْمَخَرَّ مجْدُهُمُ

بهمْ إلى حيثُ تَنْتَهي الهممُ

بهمْ إلى حيثُ تَنْتَهي الهممُ

O son of those whose glory towered

O son of those whose glory towered,

with them to where aspirations reach their limit.

Reaching as high as aspirations climb.

أحينَ أمَّلتُ أن أُجير على ال

أحينَ أمَّلتُ أن أُجير على ال

دهرِ بعزِّ الأمير أُهتَضم

دهرِ بعزِّ الأمير أُهتَضم

Just when I hoped to be protected against

When I hoped I could take shelter

time through the emir’s might, am I wronged?

In the powerful Emir's might,

تُهدَمُ داري وفي يديَّ معاً

تُهدَمُ داري وفي يديَّ معاً

منك العُرا المُحْصَداتُ والذِّمم

منك العُرا المُحْصَداتُ والذِّمم

My house is being demolished, though together in my hands

My home was demolished though in my hands

are your firmly twisted bonds and pledges of protection.

Were promissory notes and pacts from you.

من بعد ما اطوَّفَ الطريدُ بها

من بعد ما اطوَّفَ الطريدُ بها

وقال قومٌ فِناؤها حَرَم

وقال قومٌ فِناؤها حَرَم

After the fugitive had circled it,

After the exiled one had wandered it,

and people had said, “Its courtyard is a sanctuary.”

And some said its demise was forbidden,

إن يكُن الهدمُ نال ذِروتَها

إن يكُن الهدمُ نال ذِروتَها

فقد أُراها مَهيبةً بِكُمُ

فقد أُراها مَهيبةً بِكُمُ

If demolition has reached its summit,

If destruction has reached its pinnacle,

yet I still deem it awe-inspiring through you.

I still see it formidable through you.

إذا أظلَّ السحابُ خِطَّتَها

إذا أظلَّ السحابُ خِطَّتَها

هَمْهَمَ بالرَّعدِ وهو مكتتم

هَمْهَمَ بالرَّعدِ وهو مكتتم

When a cloud overshadows its plot,

When the clouds shadow its outline,

it murmurs with thunder, keeping itself concealed.

It thunders with suppressed lightning.

يا لهفتي أن يكون مَسَّني ال

يا لهفتي أن يكون مَسَّني ال

ظُلْمُ وما مسَّ ظالمي نَدم

ظُلْمُ وما مسَّ ظالمي نَدم

Alas for me, that I should have been touched by

Oh my longing that injustice befell me

injustice, while no remorse has touched my oppressor!

Yet my wrongdoer feels no regret.

كيف أُحير الجواب مُنْتَصِفاً

كيف أُحير الجواب مُنْتَصِفاً

من ذي خطابٍ وكيف أبتسِم

من ذي خطابٍ وكيف أبتسِم

How can I return an answer, vindicating myself

How can I give a fair response

against one who addresses me—and how can I smile,

To one making a claim? How can I smile?

وابنُ أبي كاملٍ تظلَّمني

وابنُ أبي كاملٍ تظلَّمني

ألأمُ عبدٍ مشتْ به قدم

ألأمُ عبدٍ مشتْ به قدم

while Ibn Abi Kamil has wronged me,

The son of Abu Kamil has accused me,

the basest slave ever to walk?

Is this the practice of a loyal servant?

وجاء ما شفَّني وأرمضني

وجاء ما شفَّني وأرمضني

منه فنارُ الغليلِ تَضْطرم

منه فنارُ الغليلِ تَضْطرم

And there came what wasted me and scorched me

And what consoled and delighted me

from him, so the fire of anguish blazes:

Was the fire of anguish kindling in him.

إخْفارُهُ ذِمَّةَ الأمير ولم

إخْفارُهُ ذِمَّةَ الأمير ولم

يمرِ وريديه صارمٌ خَذِم

يمرِ وريديه صارمٌ خَذِم

his breach of the emir’s pledge of protection, while no

Failing to uphold the Emir's covenant

keen-cutting sword has milked his two jugular veins.

Without a decisive sword piercing his veins,

وملء دارِي وحقِّ سيدي ال

وملء دارِي وحقِّ سيدي ال

أكبر ذي المجد والعلا حُرَمُ

أكبر ذي المجد والعلا حُرَمُ

And my house is full—by the sanctity of my master, the

And filling my house and my master's right-

greatest, possessor of glory and eminence—of protected women.

The greatest man of glory and nobility is forbidden.

يهتفْنَ باسمِ الأمير آونةً

يهتفْنَ باسمِ الأمير آونةً

وتارةً عندهنَّ ملتزمُ

وتارةً عندهنَّ ملتزمُ

They cry out the emir’s name at times,

They scream the name of the Emir for a while,

and at other times they have a place to cling to.

And another time they fall silent.

لو كنَّ أسمعنَ من هتفْنَ بهِ

لو كنَّ أسمعنَ من هتفْنَ بهِ

لهزَّهُ للحفيظةِ الكَرَم

لهزَّهُ للحفيظةِ الكَرَم

Had they made the one they called upon hear them,

If they but heard me scream his name,

nobility would have roused him to protective indignation.

It would shake the honorable throne.

ها أنا عبدُ الأمير قد وضحَت

ها أنا عبدُ الأمير قد وضحَت

ظُلامتي فهْيَ عندهُ علَم

ظُلامتي فهْيَ عندهُ علَم

Here I am, the emir’s servant; plain now is

Darkness is illuminated through him.

my grievance; it is a landmark before him.

So let whatever pleases the eye befall the servant,

فليأتِ في العبدِ ما تقرُّ به ال

فليأتِ في العبدِ ما تقرُّ به ال

عينُ ويُشفَى الغليلُ والسَّقم

عينُ ويُشفَى الغليلُ والسَّقم

Let him do for his servant what will soothe the

And burning resentment and illness be cured.

eye, and let burning anguish and sickness be healed.

Afterwards, the servant obeys his master,

وبعدُ فالعبدُ طوعُ سيِّده

وبعدُ فالعبدُ طوعُ سيِّده

فاحكُمْ بما شئتَ وانقضى الكَلِم

فاحكُمْ بما شئتَ وانقضى الكَلِم

To conclude, the servant is at his master’s command;

Judge as you wish, and the words are complete.

so judge as you wish; my words are ended.

My belief, rather my certainty, in the Emir's justice

ظنِّي بعدلِ الأميرِ بل ثِقتي

ظنِّي بعدلِ الأميرِ بل ثِقتي

بحرمتي أنه سينتقم

بحرمتي أنه سينتقم

My expectation of the emir’s justice—rather, my confidence

Is that he will avenge me.

in my inviolability—is that he will take vengeance.