سألت الله مبتهلاً مناكا

سألت الله مبتهلاً مناكا

فأضعف ما سألت وقال هاكا

فأضعف ما سألت وقال هاكا

I asked God, in supplication, to fulfill your wishes.

I implored God pleadingly for support,

He doubled what I asked and said, "Take this."

So He granted me the weakest of what I asked for and said, “Here you are.”

ورد على يديك الملك لما

ورد على يديك الملك لما

غدا بالترك ينتهك انتهاكا

غدا بالترك ينتهك انتهاكا

And He restored the realm at your hands when

And placed in your hands the kingdom when

it had come to be utterly ravaged by the Turks.

The Turks began to desecrate and violate.

فأنت لرب هذا الملك سيف

فأنت لرب هذا الملك سيف

إذا ما نابه خطب نضاكا

إذا ما نابه خطب نضاكا

For you are a sword to the lord of this realm,

So you are for the Lord of this kingdom a sword -

which he draws whenever calamity befalls him.

Whenever He is wronged, you retaliate.

وقد أبت الوزارة في بخارى

وقد أبت الوزارة في بخارى

سواك كما أبت الا أباكا

سواك كما أبت الا أباكا

The vizierate in Bukhara has refused

The ministry in Bukhara refused anyone

anyone but you, just as it refused all but your father.

But you, just as it had refused all but your father before you.

وكان الصدر مذ أخنيت منه

وكان الصدر مذ أخنيت منه

يمج رجاله حتى احتواكا

يمج رجاله حتى احتواكا

The high seat, since you were cast down from it,

And since I was disappointed by the minister,

kept spitting out its men until it embraced you.

He would fill it with men until they overwhelmed you.

وما اخلاك منك الملك الا

وما اخلاك منك الملك الا

ليبلو من عداك بما بلاكا

ليبلو من عداك بما بلاكا

The king only deprived you of yourself

The King spared you from it only

to test the others with what he had tested you.

To test those besides you with what He tested you.

فما أغنوا غناءك في فقير

فما أغنوا غناءك في فقير

وهل يغني غناءك من عداكا

وهل يغني غناءك من عداكا

They did not match your service to a poor man;

They were not of benefit without you to a poor man,

could anyone but you serve as you do?

Nor were they of benefit without you to anyone else.

وكنت السيف أغمد يوم سلم

وكنت السيف أغمد يوم سلم

فلما شبت الحرب انتضاكا

فلما شبت الحرب انتضاكا

You were the sword, sheathed in a time of peace;

You were a sheathed sword on the day of peace,

when war flared up, he unsheathed you.

But when war flared up, you were unsheathed.

وقد كانت على الاعداء أمضى

وقد كانت على الاعداء أمضى

واقضى من سيوفهم رقاكا

واقضى من سيوفهم رقاكا

Against the enemy, more piercing

Against the enemies you were most resolute

and more decisive than their swords were your spells.

And decisive, more than their own swords.

ولو نهضت رجال الارض طرا

ولو نهضت رجال الارض طرا

بما كلفت ما أغنوا غناكا

بما كلفت ما أغنوا غناكا

If all the men on earth undertook

If the men of the world rose to contend

what you were charged with, they could not match your service.

With what burdened you, they would not match your singing.

فعلت ببعض قولك كل فعل

فعلت ببعض قولك كل فعل

ونبت بعفو رأين عن ظباكا

ونبت بعفو رأين عن ظباكا

With a little of your speech you accomplished every deed,

You did with some of your words every deed,

and with effortless judgment you did the work of your sword-edges.

And with your pardoning my view, you ennobled me.

غذيت بدر ضرع العلم طفلا

غذيت بدر ضرع العلم طفلا

ففقت الخلق في المهد احتناكا

ففقت الخلق في المهد احتناكا

You were fed, as a child, on milk from knowledge's udder,

You nurtured the young foal of the udder of knowledge as a child,

and surpassed mankind in wisdom even in the cradle.

So you surpassed people in the cradle by your embrace.

فلا شرب الطلا ألهاك يوما

فلا شرب الطلا ألهاك يوما

ولا بيض الطلا عما عناكا

ولا بيض الطلا عما عناكا

Neither drinking wine ever distracted you,

You have never been destroyed by drinking deadly poison,

nor fair necks, from what concerned you.

Nor harmed by eating poisonous food.

وان غم الممالك ليل خطب

وان غم الممالك ليل خطب

جلاه صبح رأيك أو سناكا

جلاه صبح رأيك أو سناكا

If the night of calamity shrouded the realms,

If the worries of kingdoms are nights of distress,

the dawn of your judgment or your radiance dispelled it.

The dawn of your opinion or your making them dissipate.

فافسح من خطا الخطي قدما

فافسح من خطا الخطي قدما

إذا أقدمت في حرب خطاكا

إذا أقدمت في حرب خطاكا

Farther forward than the Khattī spear's strides

So overlook the misstep of the wrongdoer

are your strides when you advance in battle.

If you advance in a war that is your misstep.

واسمح من ملث القطر جودا

واسمح من ملث القطر جودا

إذا ما صاب صيبه نداكا

إذا ما صاب صيبه نداكا

And more lavish in giving than ceaseless rain

And forgive the downpour of drops generously

is your bounty, whenever its showers fall.

If its pouring should strike your ear.

وما انفتحت بلا شفتاك يوما

وما انفتحت بلا شفتاك يوما

ولا انضمت على نشب يداكا

ولا انضمت على نشب يداكا

Never did your lips open with a "no,"

Your lips were never opened or pressed together in a day

nor did your hands close upon wealth.

Except by your hands closing or spreading.

تأخر عن مداك البحر لما

تأخر عن مداك البحر لما

جريت فلم نسميه أخاكا

جريت فلم نسميه أخاكا

The sea fell short of your reach when

The sea lagged behind your supply

you raced, so we did not call it your brother.

When you marched, so we did not call it your brother.

وما جاراك صوب المزن لما

وما جاراك صوب المزن لما

جرى وجرى نداك ولا حكاكا

جرى وجرى نداك ولا حكاكا

The downpour of the clouds did not keep pace with you when

The stars in Al-Muzannah did not race you

it flowed and your bounty flowed, nor did it resemble you.

When they sped - they sped your supply, but did not speak of you.

ولكن الغمام عنى سجودا

ولكن الغمام عنى سجودا

على وجه الثرى لك اذ رآكا

على وجه الثرى لك اذ رآكا

Rather, the cloud bowed down in prostration

Rather, the clouds understood and prostrated

upon the earth's face before you when it saw you.

On the earth’s face to you when they saw you.

فأنت أجل قدرا ان تجارى

فأنت أجل قدرا ان تجارى

وأرفع رتبة من أن تحاكى

وأرفع رتبة من أن تحاكى

For your worth is too great to be rivaled,

You are too precious to compete

and your rank too lofty to be imitated.

And too high in rank to be emulated.

وقد سامى السماء وماس زهوا

وقد سامى السماء وماس زهوا

على فرع السها بلد نماكا

على فرع السها بلد نماكا

It has vied with heaven and strutted proudly

You attained the sky though it was lofty

upon Suhā's crown—the land that nurtured you.

On the branch of glory in the land you developed.

فأهلوه ومن فيه وقاء

فأهلوه ومن فيه وقاء

لنفسك من جميع من ابتغاكا

لنفسك من جميع من ابتغاكا

Its people and all within it are a shield

So welcome it and whoever is in it, protecting

for your life against everyone who pursues you.

Yourself from all who sought you.

فها هو جنة لك فاغتنمها

فها هو جنة لك فاغتنمها

وهم لك جنة مما دهاكا

وهم لك جنة مما دهاكا

Here it is, a paradise for you—make the most of it;

For it is a paradise for you, so seize it,

and they are your shield against whatever befalls you.

And they are for you a paradise from what you have prepared.

أكاد إلى العزيزيين أعزى

أكاد إلى العزيزيين أعزى

لالحاقي بهم نفسي اشتباكا

لالحاقي بهم نفسي اشتباكا

I am almost reckoned among the ʿAzīzīs,

I almost console the two dear ones

so closely have I intertwined myself with them.

By joining them, longing for that embrace.

فلو أجريت لحظك في فؤادي

فلو أجريت لحظك في فؤادي

رأيت دليل ذاك كما أراكا

رأيت دليل ذاك كما أراكا

If you let your gaze range through my heart,

If I let your glance flow in my heart,

you would see the proof of that as plainly as I see you.

I would see evidence of that as I see you.

أعبد الله لا خيرت بيتا

أعبد الله لا خيرت بيتا

مدى الايام الا في علاكا

مدى الايام الا في علاكا

O ʿAbd Allāh, may I choose no verse

I worship God - I chose no house

through all my days except one on your glory.

The length of days but yours to rise in.

فكم لك من يد قلدتنيها

فكم لك من يد قلدتنيها

فلست أرى لها عني انفكاكا

فلست أرى لها عني انفكاكا

How many favors you have hung about my neck!

How many hands you gave me authority over

I see no way they could be unbound from me.

Such that I do not see for them release!

ولو حملت ما حملتنيه

ولو حملت ما حملتنيه

شمام لما استطاع به حراكا

شمام لما استطاع به حراكا

Had what you made me bear been borne

You clothed me in robes of honor

by Shamām, it could not have stirred beneath it.

And placed my feet atop the highest abode.

وقد ألبستني أثواب عز

وقد ألبستني أثواب عز

وقد أوطأت أخمصي السماكا

وقد أوطأت أخمصي السماكا

You have clothed me in robes of honor,

It is enough for me that you raised my heel -

and made the arch of my foot tread on Simāk.

By your raising it, it reached the highest abode.

فحسبك من علا أعليت كعبي

فحسبك من علا أعليت كعبي

برفعكه فقد بلغ السماكا

برفعكه فقد بلغ السماكا

It is glory enough that you have raised my ankle;

Neither did the days debase glory for you

by your lifting it, it has reached Simāk.

Nor did the Omnipotent take back what He granted you.

فلا حطت لك الايام مجدا

فلا حطت لك الايام مجدا

ولا ارتجع المهيمن ما حباكا

ولا ارتجع المهيمن ما حباكا

May the days never diminish your glory,

My poetry spread everywhere in the land

nor the Guardian reclaim what He bestowed on you.

And settled when it saw you, not missing you.

سرى كل السرى في الارض شعري

سرى كل السرى في الارض شعري

وخيم اذ رآك فما خطاكا

وخيم اذ رآك فما خطاكا

My verse roamed far and wide by night across the earth,

You were resolute in purpose until

then camped when it saw you and never passed beyond you.

You prevented me, staying seeking your approval.

وكنت على النوى صممت حتى

وكنت على النوى صممت حتى

منعت فبت مبتغيا رضاكا

منعت فبت مبتغيا رضاكا

I had firmly resolved upon departure, until

Had my state at nights not been limited,

I was held back, and spent the night seeking your approval.

I would not have journeyed on from protecting you.

ولو لم تقتصر حالي الليالي

ولو لم تقتصر حالي الليالي

لما أزعت سيرا عن حماكا

لما أزعت سيرا عن حماكا

Had the nights not straitened my circumstances,

You named two matters to me - it suffices me

I would never have set out from your sanctuary.

To prefer one of them when I choose that.

وقد سميت لي أمرين حسبي

وقد سميت لي أمرين حسبي

ببعضهما إذا آثرت ذاكا

ببعضهما إذا آثرت ذاكا

You have named two things for me; I need only

Even if you do not make the star my sandal

a portion of them, if that is your choice.

Or the Milky Way my footstool,

وإن لم ترض لي بالنجم نعلا

وإن لم ترض لي بالنجم نعلا

ولا خط المجرة لي شراكا

ولا خط المجرة لي شراكا

Though you would not settle for a star as my sandal,

Leave what you wish for us and lower -

nor the Milky Way's band as my sandal-strap,

For ourselves and what you possessed are your ransom.

فدع ما ترتضيه لنا وخفض

فدع ما ترتضيه لنا وخفض

فانفسنا وما ملكت فداكا

فانفسنا وما ملكت فداكا

set aside what you deem worthy of us, and be less exacting;

I never disdained your generosity, but

for our lives and all we own are your ransom.

Your affection’s devotion sufficed me from craving.

وما استنكفت من جدواك لكن

وما استنكفت من جدواك لكن

كفاني بذل ودك عن لهاكا

كفاني بذل ودك عن لهاكا

I have not disdained your bounty, but

Had asking the sea’s permission been possible,

your freely given affection has spared me need of your gifts.

It would ask your permission and withdraw.

ولو كان استماح البحر خلقا

ولو كان استماح البحر خلقا

لامك يستميحك وانتحاكا

لامك يستميحك وانتحاكا

If seeking gifts were in the sea's nature,

So I do not desire any sea but your supply,

it would come to beg of you and make straight for you.

Nor camp except in your pathway.

فلا يممت غير نداك بحرا

فلا يممت غير نداك بحرا

ولا خيمت إلا في ذراكا

ولا خيمت إلا في ذراكا

May I seek no sea but your bounty,

nor pitch my tent except within your shelter.