قُل لِلخَليفَةِ إِنَّني

قُل لِلخَليفَةِ إِنَّني

حَتّى أَراكَ بِكُلِّ باسِ

حَتّى أَراكَ بِكُلِّ باسِ

Tell the caliph that I...

Tell the Caliph, I will not

Say to the Caliph that I remain,

until I see you beset by every hardship...

See you, though you plead and implore,

Until I see you in all your might:

مَن ذا يَكونُ أَبا نُوا

مَن ذا يَكونُ أَبا نُوا

سِكَ إِذ حَبَستَ أَبا نُواسِ

سِكَ إِذ حَبَستَ أَبا نُواسِ

Who will be your Abu Nuwa-

Who is there to be the father of poetry

Who then shall be your own Abu Nuwas,

s, when you have imprisoned Abu Nuwas?

When Abu Nuwas lies imprisoned?

Now that you have imprisoned Abu Nuwas?

أَقصَيتَهُ وَنَسيتَهُ

أَقصَيتَهُ وَنَسيتَهُ

وَلِعَهدِهِ بِكَ غَيرُ ناسِ

وَلِعَهدِهِ بِكَ غَيرُ ناسِ

You have cast him aside and forgotten him,

You dismissed him, forgetting

You cast him aside and have forgotten him,

yet he has not forgotten his bond with you.

His covenant with you and other men.

Though he of his bond with you is not forgetful.

قَد كُنتُ آمَلُ غَيرَ ذا

قَد كُنتُ آمَلُ غَيرَ ذا

لَو كُنتَ تُنصِفُ في القِياسِ

لَو كُنتَ تُنصِفُ في القِياسِ

I had hoped for something other than this,

I had hoped for other than this -

I had truly hoped for other than this,

if you were fair in your reckoning.

Had you been just in your judgment.

Had you but been fair in your judgment.

إِن أَنتَ لَم تَرفَع لَهُ

إِن أَنتَ لَم تَرفَع لَهُ

رَأساً فُديتَ فَنِصفَ راسِ

رَأساً فُديتَ فَنِصفَ راسِ

If you will not raise for him

If you do not raise his head,

If you will not raise a full head for his sake,

a head—may you be ransomed!—then half a head.

I will give my head that his be raised.

Then—may you be ransomed—raise but half a head!