أبا العباسِ عُمِّرتَ

أبا العباسِ عُمِّرتَ

صحيحَ الرأي والجسمِ

صحيحَ الرأي والجسمِ

O Abū al-ʿAbbās, may you live long,

O Abul Abbas, you were blessed

sound in judgment and body.

With sound judgment and health

ولا زلتَ من الخيرا

ولا زلتَ من الخيرا

تِ طُرّاً وافرَ القسمِ

تِ طُرّاً وافرَ القسمِ

And may you ever, of good things,

And you have always been

all of them, have an ample share.

Generous and noble

توعَّدتُ بك الدهر

توعَّدتُ بك الدهر

فأعطى بيد السلمِ

فأعطى بيد السلمِ

I threatened Time with you,

I threatened fate with you

so it held out the hand of peace,

And it yielded with peace

وأعفى بالتي أهوى

وأعفى بالتي أهوى

وباعَ الجهل بالحلمِ

وباعَ الجهل بالحلمِ

and lavished upon me what I desire,

And excused what I love

and traded folly for forbearance.

And ignorance sold wisdom

فيا بابي إلى المال

فيا بابي إلى المال

ويا بابي إلى العلمِ

ويا بابي إلى العلمِ

So, O my gateway to wealth,

So my lord, to wealth

and O my gateway to knowledge,

And my lord, to knowledge

أدِمْ عزمك في أمري

أدِمْ عزمك في أمري

على ما كان في القِدمِ

على ما كان في القِدمِ

maintain your resolve concerning me

Stay resolute in my matter

as it was in former days.

As you were before

فما في عودتي يوماً

فما في عودتي يوماً

إلى فضلكَ من إثمِ

إلى فضلكَ من إثمِ

For my returning, on any day,

For there is no sin in my

to your bounty involves no sin.

Returning one day to your grace

وما الحكرةُ بالحِلِّ

وما الحكرةُ بالحِلِّ

ولا المِسكةُ بالحِرمِ

ولا المِسكةُ بالحِرمِ

And hoarding is not lawful,

A sack is not disgraced by patches

nor is bare sustenance forbidden.

Nor a flask by a wax seal

كفافُ العيش كالعرس

كفافُ العيش كالعرس

وفضلُ العيش كالحلمِ

وفضلُ العيش كالحلمِ

Sufficient livelihood is like a wife,

A decent living is like a wedding

and surplus livelihood is like a dream.

And surplus like a dream

وما للكهل والفضل

وما للكهل والفضل

إذا عضَّ على جِذمِ

إذا عضَّ على جِذمِ

And what use has a middle-aged man for surplus,

The aged and wealthy

when he bites upon a root,

Biting a shriveled lip

وزدادت قوةُ الرأي

وزدادت قوةُ الرأي

وبادتْ قوةُ الجُرمِ

وبادتْ قوةُ الجُرمِ

and the strength of judgment has grown,

With stronger judgment

while the body's strength has died away?

And weaker body

كفى مثلي كفى مثلي

كفى مثلي كفى مثلي

من الهجمةِ بالصّرمِ

من الهجمةِ بالصّرمِ

Enough for one like me, enough for one like me,

Enough, enough for the likes of me

is a small camel herd in place of a large one.

To be attacked with swords

بلى أبكي لأن أصبح

بلى أبكي لأن أصبح

تُ من قدريَ في هِدمِ

تُ من قدريَ في هِدمِ

Yes, I weep because I have come

Rather I weep because I wake

down from my station into rags.

To find my fate in ruins

ولي ظرفٌ ولي رأيٌ

ولي ظرفٌ ولي رأيٌ

وثيقٌ كعُرا العِكمِ

وثيقٌ كعُرا العِكمِ

And I have wit, and I have judgment,

Though I have tact and wisdom

firm as the loops of packs.

Tightly bound like a blind man's rope

أترضى أن ترى الدهر

أترضى أن ترى الدهر

وما نوَّه لي باسمِ

وما نوَّه لي باسمِ

Would you be content to see Time

Are you pleased to see fate

leave my name unheralded?

Not even name me?

وفي لطفك طلَّسْمٌ

وفي لطفك طلَّسْمٌ

بحالي أيُّ طِلَّسمِ

بحالي أيُّ طِلَّسمِ

And in your kindness lies a talisman—

And in your kindness there is a charm

for my plight, what a talisman!

For my state - what charm!