أَلاَ أَيُّهَا الْقَائِدُ الْمُجْتَبَى

أَلاَ أَيُّهَا الْقَائِدُ الْمُجْتَبَى

وَمَنْ حَازَ فِي الْمَجْدِ أَسْنَى مَقَامْ

وَمَنْ حَازَ فِي الْمَجْدِ أَسْنَى مَقَامْ

Hearken, O chosen commander,

O chosen leader

O you, the chosen leader,

and you who have attained the loftiest station in glory,

And the one who attained the highest glory

And you who have attained the most exalted station of glory,

وَمَنْ هُوَ فِي فَاسَ بَدْرُ دُجىً

وَمَنْ هُوَ فِي فَاسَ بَدْرُ دُجىً

يُطَاوِلُ بِالأُفْقِ بَدْرَ التَّمَامْ

يُطَاوِلُ بِالأُفْقِ بَدْرَ التَّمَامْ

and you who are in Fez a full moon in the darkness,

And the one who is the full moon of Duja in Fez

You who are the full moon piercing the darkness in Fez,

rivaling the full moon upon the horizon.

Rising to the horizon like the full moon

Stretching high across the horizon to rival the perfect moon.

فَزَعْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ وَقَدْ شَفَّنِي امْ

فَزَعْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ وَقَدْ شَفَّنِي امْ

تِدَادُ مَقَامِي بِهَذَا الْمَقَامْ

تِدَادُ مَقَامِي بِهَذَا الْمَقَامْ

I sought refuge with you, and have been worn thin by

I have come rushing to you

I have sought refuge with you, exhausted by the

the prolongation of my stay in this place.

As my stay in this place was prolonged

prolongation of my stay in this station,

وَقَدْ شِبْتُ مِمَّا قُذِفْتُ بِهِ

وَقَدْ شِبْتُ مِمَّا قُذِفْتُ بِهِ

بِإِثْرِ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَعِشْرِينَ عَامْ

بِإِثْرِ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَعِشْرِينَ عَامْ

And I have turned gray from what I have been accused of,

And I have grown old from what I was cast into

And my hair has turned white from the accusations hurled at me,

after twenty-two years.

After twenty two years

In the wake of twenty-two years.

وَيَا لَيْتَ مَنْ هُوَ مِثْلِي شَجٍ

وَيَا لَيْتَ مَنْ هُوَ مِثْلِي شَجٍ

يَصِيرُ خَبِيئَةَ إِحْدَى الرَِّجَامْ

يَصِيرُ خَبِيئَةَ إِحْدَى الرَِّجَامْ

And would that someone as grief-stricken as I

And I wish that one who is like me, mature,

Would that a man as grief-stricken as I,

might lie hidden beneath one of the stone cairns.

Would become ruined like one of the pillars

Could become hidden within one of the tombs.

فَلاَ تَأْخُذَنِّي بِقَوْلِ الْعِدَى

فَلاَ تَأْخُذَنِّي بِقَوْلِ الْعِدَى

وَإِنْ أَكْثَرُوا فِيَّ زُورَ الْكَلاَمْ

وَإِنْ أَكْثَرُوا فِيَّ زُورَ الْكَلاَمْ

So do not hold me to account for what my enemies say,

So do not take me for the words of hostility

So do not hold me accountable for the words of my enemies,

even if they speak many falsehoods about me.

Even if they speak much falsehood about me

Even if they multiply their false claims against me.

فَمَا جِئْتُ شَيْئاً أُلاَمُ بهِ

فَمَا جِئْتُ شَيْئاً أُلاَمُ بهِ

سِوَى أَنَّنِي بِالْعُلاَ مُسْتَهَامْ

سِوَى أَنَّنِي بِالْعُلاَ مُسْتَهَامْ

For I have done nothing for which I can be blamed,

I have come with nothing to blame

For I have committed nothing worthy of blame,

save that I am enamored of eminence.

Except that I am obsessed with supremacy

Save that I am utterly infatuated with nobility.

أَخُوضُ بِحَارَ الْعُلُُومِ مَدىً

أَخُوضُ بِحَارَ الْعُلُُومِ مَدىً

وَأُسْحَرُ طَوْراً بِدُرِّ النِّظَامْ

وَأُسْحَرُ طَوْراً بِدُرِّ النِّظَامْ

For a time I plunge into the seas of knowledge,

I traverse the sea of knowledge for a period

I continually plunge into the oceans of knowledge,

and at times I am enchanted by the pearls of verse.

And I become fascinated for a while by the shining system

And am enchanted, at times, by the pearls of poetry.

وَهَبْنِي اقْتَرَفْتُ ذُنُوباً طَغَتْ

وَهَبْنِي اقْتَرَفْتُ ذُنُوباً طَغَتْ

فَمِثْلُكَ يُولِي الذُّنُوبَ الْعِظَامْ

فَمِثْلُكَ يُولِي الذُّنُوبَ الْعِظَامْ

And suppose I have committed sins beyond all bounds—

And it was granted, I committed sins that transgressed

And even if you suppose I have committed overwhelming sins,

for one such as you grants [pardon for] grievous sins.

So one like you pardons major sins

A man like you pardons even the gravest of offenses.

فَحِلْمُكَ قَدْ عَمَّ كُلَّ الْوَرَى

فَحِلْمُكَ قَدْ عَمَّ كُلَّ الْوَرَى

وَأَصْلَحَ مَا بَيْنَ خَاصٍ وَعَامْ

وَأَصْلَحَ مَا بَيْنَ خَاصٍ وَعَامْ

For your forbearance has embraced all humankind,

For your forbearance has covered all people

For your forbearance has encompassed all of creation,

and mended relations between the elite and the common folk.

And reformed what was between private and public

And mended the rifts between the elite and the commoners.

وَجُدْ لِي بِعَفْوِكَ يَا رَبَّهُ

وَجُدْ لِي بِعَفْوِكَ يَا رَبَّهُ

فَعَفْوُكَ عِنْدِي الْمُنَى وَالْمَرَامْ

فَعَفْوُكَ عِنْدِي الْمُنَى وَالْمَرَامْ

And grant me your pardon, O master of pardon,

So, grant me my lord, with your forgiveness

So bestow upon me your generous pardon, O master of forgiveness,

for your pardon is my hope and my goal.

For your forgiveness is my wish and purpose

For your pardon is my ultimate wish and my greatest goal.

فَمَنْ لِابْنِ زَاكُورَ مِنْ مُنْجِدٍ

فَمَنْ لِابْنِ زَاكُورَ مِنْ مُنْجِدٍ

سِوَاكَ إِذَا حَارَبَتْهُ اللِّئَامْ

سِوَاكَ إِذَا حَارَبَتْهُ اللِّئَامْ

For who is there to aid Ibn Zakur,

Who is there for the son of Zakur except you

For who else can rescue Ibn Zakour,

but you, when the ignoble wage war on him?

To help him when faced by the wicked

But you, when the vile wage war against him?

فَلاَ زِلْتَ تَرْقَى سَمَاءَ الْعُلاَ

فَلاَ زِلْتَ تَرْقَى سَمَاءَ الْعُلاَ

وَكَهْفاً يَلُوذُ بِهِ مَنْ يُضَامْ

وَكَهْفاً يَلُوذُ بِهِ مَنْ يُضَامْ

So may you ever ascend the heaven of glory,

You continue to rise to the heaven of supremacy

May you never cease ascending the heavens of eminence,

and remain a cave where the wronged seek refuge.

And a cave in which one who is wronged takes refuge

Remaining a sheltering cave where the wronged seek refuge.