رِضاكَ هَب لي لِكَي أَراهُ

رِضاكَ هَب لي لِكَي أَراهُ

في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ وَالمَفازِ

في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ وَالمَفازِ

Grant me Your favor, that I may see him

Grant me your favor, that I may see him

Grant me your pleasure so I may see it

Grant me Your contentment so I may see him / in the Garden of Eternity and salvation.

in the Garden of Eternity and salvation.

in the garden of eternity and salvation.

In the eternal paradise and expanse

O flower of my world, ornament of my age, / you have left my dwelling as desolate as a wasteland.

زَهرَةَ دُنيايَ حَليَ دَهري

زَهرَةَ دُنيايَ حَليَ دَهري

غادَرتَ مَغنايَ كَالمَفازِ

غادَرتَ مَغنايَ كَالمَفازِ

Blossom of my world, adornment of my age,

O blossom of my world, adornment of my lifetime,

The flower of my life, the adornment of my age

You have departed, leaving my sword without an edge, / and the robe of my glory without embroidery.

you have left my dwelling like a wasteland.

you left my dwelling like a desert.

You left my refuge like the expanse

You were pure as a child, becoming a source of pride, / while many an elder bears only disgrace.

زُلتُ فَسَيفي بِلا غِرارٍ

زُلتُ فَسَيفي بِلا غِرارٍ

وَثَوبُ مَجدي بِلا طرازِ

وَثَوبُ مَجدي بِلا طرازِ

I stumbled: my sword is left without an edge,

I am undone, so my sword has no edge,

I stumbled with my sword without sheath

You roared like a lion while yet a cub, / striking terror into lions on the battlefield.

and the robe of my glory without embroidery.

and the robe of my glory has no embroidery.

And my glory's robe without embroidery

A death that destroyed Khosrow and Parviz / has made me renounce all desire for life.

زَكَوت طِفلاً فَكُنت فَخراً

زَكَوت طِفلاً فَكُنت فَخراً

وَكَم كَبيرٍ لَهُ مَخازي

وَكَم كَبيرٍ لَهُ مَخازي

You flourished as a child and became a source of pride—

You were pure as a child and became a source of pride,

I excelled as a child so I became pride

The love of living is made alluring to man, / yet death is earnest even when man jests.

how many a grown man has his disgraces!

while many a grown man has deeds of shame.

And how many elders have retreats

Increase my sorrow, for your father cannot be compensated for your loss, / nor can you offer recompense for him.

زَأَرت لَيثاً وَأَنتَ شِبلٌ

زَأَرت لَيثاً وَأَنتَ شِبلٌ

فَاِرتاعَت الأُسدُ في البرازِ

فَاِرتاعَت الأُسدُ في البرازِ

You roared like a lion while still a cub,

You roared like a lion while still a cub,

I roared a lion though you're a cub

His sins have heavily burdened his back, / while you are unburdened, so there is no comparison.

and the lions took fright in the open field.

so the lions took fright in open combat.

So the lions shuddered in the open country

Visit me as a phantom and lie beside me, / whether in reality or in the realm of visions.

زَهَّدَني في الحَياةِ مَوتٌ

زَهَّدَني في الحَياةِ مَوتٌ

أَودى بِكسرى وَأَبروازِ

أَودى بِكسرى وَأَبروازِ

A death has made me renounce this life—

Death has made me indifferent to life—

Death made me renounce life

The ornaments of life are fleeting, / and its shadow is shrinking and receding.

the death that carried off Khosrow and Parviz.

it carried off Kisra and Abarwaz.

That finished off Chosroes and the Sassanids

The earth quaked beneath me for my pain, / and the towering mountains trembled at my trembling.

زُيِّنَ لِلمَرءِ حُبُّ عَيشٍ

زُيِّنَ لِلمَرءِ حُبُّ عَيشٍ

وَالمَوتُ قَد جَدّ وَهوَ هازي

وَالمَوتُ قَد جَدّ وَهوَ هازي

The love of living is made alluring to man,

Love of life has been made alluring to man,

The love of living was made attractive to man

O spark of wisdom, star of the dark nights, / cub of the lion's den, gem of hidden treasure.

though death has grown earnest while he trifles.

while death has grown earnest, even as it mocks.

And death came attacking while it withdrew

Zayd and Amr threaten me, / so rise and take up your sharp-edged sword.

زدني أَسىً لا أَبوكَ يُجزى

زدني أَسىً لا أَبوكَ يُجزى

عَنكَ وَلا أَنتَ عَنهُ جازِ

عَنكَ وَلا أَنتَ عَنهُ جازِ

Add to my sorrow: your father cannot stand in for you,

Deepen my sorrow: your father is of no avail

Increase my sorrow - your father won't be rewarded

Drive them both away from your father and take pride / over the two Iraqs and the Hejaz.

nor can you stand in for him.

for you, nor are you of any avail for him.

For you nor you for him - farewell!

زلّاتُهُ أَثقَلَتهُ ظَهراً

زلّاتُهُ أَثقَلَتهُ ظَهراً

وَأَنتَ خفٌّ فَما يُوازي

وَأَنتَ خفٌّ فَما يُوازي

His failings have weighed heavily upon his back,

His failings have weighed down his back,

His sins burdened him while you were light

while you are unburdened—how could the two be equal?

while you are light, so he is no match for you.

So what equals you?

زُرني خَيالاً وَبِت ضَجيعي

زُرني خَيالاً وَبِت ضَجيعي

حَقيقَةً أَو عَلى المَجازِ

حَقيقَةً أَو عَلى المَجازِ

Visit me as a phantom, and spend the night beside me,

Visit me as a phantom, and spend the night beside me,

Visit me in apparition and pass the night by my side

in truth—or even in metaphor.

in reality or figuratively.

In reality or metaphorically

زَخارِفُ العَيشِ ذاهِباتٌ

زَخارِفُ العَيشِ ذاهِباتٌ

وَظِلّهُ قالِصٌ فَآزِ

وَظِلّهُ قالِصٌ فَآزِ

The ornaments of life are passing away,

Life's adornments are passing away,

The ornaments of life are passing

and its shade is shrinking; so seek refuge.

and its shade is shrinking and receding.

And its shadow shrinks so retreat

زُلزِلَت الأَرضُ بي لِما بي

زُلزِلَت الأَرضُ بي لِما بي

وَاِهتَزَّتِ الشُمُّ لِاِهتِزازي

وَاِهتَزَّتِ الشُمُّ لِاِهتِزازي

The earth quaked beneath me for all that afflicts me,

The earth shook beneath me at what afflicts me,

The earth shook around me with what I have

and the lofty mountains shook with my shaking.

and the lofty mountains trembled at my trembling.

And the pillars trembled due to my shaking

زَندُ الحِجا كَوكَب الدياجي

زَندُ الحِجا كَوكَب الدياجي

شبلُ الشَرى شامَة الرِكازِ

شبلُ الشَرى شامَة الرِكازِ

Firebrand of wisdom, star of the darkest nights,

Fire-stick of reason, star of the dark nights,

The pillar of guidance like the star of old

cub of the lion-haunts, choicest jewel of buried treasure!

cub of al-Shara, beauty mark of buried treasure,

The pillar of leadership like the polestar

زَيدٌ وَعَمرٌو يُهَدِّداني

زَيدٌ وَعَمرٌو يُهَدِّداني

فَقُم إِلى سَيفِكَ الجُرازِ

فَقُم إِلى سَيفِكَ الجُرازِ

Zayd and Amr now threaten me;

Zayd and Amr threaten me,

Ziyad and Amr threaten me

rise, then, and take up your cleaving sword.

so rise and take up your keen-cutting sword.

So stand up with your sharp sword!

زُع ذا وَذا عَن أَبيكَ وَاِفخَر

زُع ذا وَذا عَن أَبيكَ وَاِفخَر

عَلى العِراقَينِ وَالحِجازِ

عَلى العِراقَينِ وَالحِجازِ

Hold this man and that at bay from your father, and glory

Repel this one and that one from your father, and boast

Repel this and that one from your father and take pride

over the two Iraqs and the Hijaz.

over the two Iraqs and the Hijaz.

In the two Iraqs and the Hijaz