يا رُستم بن خُداهى

يا رُستم بن خُداهى

يا ظبيةَ الديوانِ

يا ظبيةَ الديوانِ

O Rustam, son of Khudahi,

O Rustam son of Khudahi

O Rustam, son of Khudahi,

O gazelle of the chancery,

O gazelle of the council

O gazelle of the royal Diwan,

أما وحقّ الأيوانِ

أما وحقّ الأيوانِ

والبزم والمهرجانِ

والبزم والمهرجانِ

Now, by the sanctity of the iwan,

By the right of creatures

I swear by the right of the Iwan,

and the banquet and Mihragan,

And revelry and festival

By the banquet assembly and the Mihragan,

وحرمةِ الخسرواني

وحرمةِ الخسرواني

إذا بكى في الدنان

إذا بكى في الدنان

and the sanctity of Khusrawani wine,

And sanctity of the kings

By the sanctity of the Khusrawani wine

when it weeps in the wine jars,

When he weeps in the abodes

When it weeps within the clay casks,

ورزّةِ العيدانِ

ورزّةِ العيدانِ

وكلّ بم وثانِ

وكلّ بم وثانِ

and the twang of the lutes,

And bouquet of willows

By the resonance of the lutes,

and every bass and second string,

And every oath and covenant

And every deep string and second chord,

وتهمةِ المجان

وتهمةِ المجان

ونخوةِ النشوانِ

ونخوةِ النشوانِ

and the suspicion cast on libertines,

And blame of the immoral

By the suspicion cast upon the shameless,

and the tipsy man's pride,

And valor of the spears

And the arrogance of the intoxicated,

وبانقلاب الزمانِ

وبانقلاب الزمانِ

ودولةِ الخصيانِ

ودولةِ الخصيانِ

and by the reversals of time,

And turn of times

By the turning of fortune's wheel,

and the rule of eunuchs—

And rule of the imprudent

And the dominion of the eunuchs,

يمين غاو خليع

يمين غاو خليع

مضلّل مخرشاني

مضلّل مخرشاني

an oath of a wayward libertine,

The oath of the vile

[This is] the oath of a wayward libertine,

misguided, 'Makhrashani' [unclear epithet]—

Misguided, wicked

Misguided and impudent.

لقد شككتَ فؤادي

لقد شككتَ فؤادي

بأسهمِ الهجرانِ

بأسهمِ الهجرانِ

you have indeed pierced my heart

You have doubted my heart

You have pierced my heart

with the arrows of estrangement.

With arrows of estrangement

With the arrows of abandonment.

ففيمَ ذا يا خُداهي

ففيمَ ذا يا خُداهي

لججتَ في العصيانِ

لججتَ في العصيانِ

Why this, then, O Khudahi?

So why, O Khudahi

So wherefore is this, O Khudahi,

You have persisted in defiance.

Have you plunged into defiance?

That you persist in such obstinacy?

إن كان وجدُكَ هذا

إن كان وجدُكَ هذا

لقُبلةٍ مذ زمانِ

لقُبلةٍ مذ زمانِ

If this anger of yours

If this love of yours

If this resentment of yours

is over a kiss some time ago,

Was from olden times

Is over a kiss stolen long ago,

فهاكَ فاقتصَّ منّي

فهاكَ فاقتصَّ منّي

ألغابها يا مهاني

ألغابها يا مهاني

then take it: exact from me

Then here, take vengeance on me

Then come, take your retribution from me;

its [unclear word], O Mahani.

Overcome me, O disgraced one

Avenge that lapse, O my tormentor.

كذا الجروح قصاصاً

كذا الجروح قصاصاً

أتت من الديانِ

أتت من الديانِ

Thus wounds are requited in kind,

Thus my wounds avenged

For wounds are settled by retaliation,

as ordained by the Judge.

Came from the Judge

As decreed by the Divine Judge.

أولا فإن رامَ هذا

أولا فإن رامَ هذا

درجتُ في أكفاني

درجتُ في أكفاني

Or else, if he desires this,

But if this was the intent

But if not, and he desires this [estrangement],

I shall pass away in my shrouds.

Then shrouded I walk to my grave

Then I have already stepped into my shrouds.