يَدُ الشَكوى أَتَتكَ عَلى البَريدِ

يَدُ الشَكوى أَتَتكَ عَلى البَريدِ

تَمُدُّ بِها القَصائِدُ بِالنَشيدِ

تَمُدُّ بِها القَصائِدُ بِالنَشيدِ

The hand of complaint has come to you by post;

The hand of complaint has come to you in the mail

The poems reach out with it in song,

It sends poems with melody

تُقَلِّبُ بَينَها أَمَلاً جَديداً

تُقَلِّبُ بَينَها أَمَلاً جَديداً

تَدَرَّعَ حُلَّتي طَمَعٍ جَديدِ

تَدَرَّعَ حُلَّتي طَمَعٍ جَديدِ

Turning among them a fresh hope

It turns between them a new hope

That has donned the two robes of fresh desire.

My desire has dressed in a new ambition

شَكَوتُ إِلى الزَمانِ نُحولَ جِسمي

شَكَوتُ إِلى الزَمانِ نُحولَ جِسمي

فَأَرشَدَني إِلى عَبدِ الحَميدِ

فَأَرشَدَني إِلى عَبدِ الحَميدِ

I complained to time of my body's wasting,

I complained to time of my thin body

So it directed me to Abd al-Hamid.

So it guided me to Abdel Hamid

فَجِئتُكَ راكِباً أَمَلَ القَوافي

فَجِئتُكَ راكِباً أَمَلَ القَوافي

عَلى ثِقَةٍ مِنَ البَلَدِ البَعيدِ

عَلى ثِقَةٍ مِنَ البَلَدِ البَعيدِ

So I came to you, riding the hope of rhymes,

I came to you riding the rhymes of hope

With confidence, from the distant land.

With trust from a faraway land

أُرَجّي أَن تَكونَ مَحَلَّ يُسري

أُرَجّي أَن تَكونَ مَحَلَّ يُسري

وَمُنتَصَري عَلى الزَمَنِ الكَنودِ

وَمُنتَصَري عَلى الزَمَنِ الكَنودِ

I hope you will be the source of my prosperity

I hope you will be a place of ease for me

And my champion against ungrateful time.

And supporter against the spiteful time

فَقَد لاذَت بِكَ الآمالُ مِنّي

فَقَد لاذَت بِكَ الآمالُ مِنّي

كَما لاذَ الوَرى بِاِبنِ الرَشيدِ

كَما لاذَ الوَرى بِاِبنِ الرَشيدِ

For my hopes have sought refuge with you,

So my hopes have taken refuge in you

As humankind sought refuge with the son of al-Rashid.

As people took refuge in Al-Rashid's son

وَقَد أَلقى الزَمانُ عِنانَ يُسري

وَقَد أَلقى الزَمانُ عِنانَ يُسري

وَصافَحَني الغَداةَ بِكَفِّ سيدِ

وَصافَحَني الغَداةَ بِكَفِّ سيدِ

And time has cast aside the reins of my prosperity,

Time has let loose its ease

And shook my hand this morning with a wolf's paw.

And greeted me in the morning with a lord's palm

فَلا تَجعَل جَوابَكَ في يَدَي لا

فَلا تَجعَل جَوابَكَ في يَدَي لا

فَأَكتُبَ ما رَجَوتُ عَلى الجَليدِ

فَأَكتُبَ ما رَجَوتُ عَلى الجَليدِ

So do not place your reply in the hands of 'No',

So do not leave your answer unsatisfying in my hands

Lest I write what I hoped for upon ice.

For me to write what I wished on the parchment

فَلَولا أَنَّ آمالي أَرَتني

فَلَولا أَنَّ آمالي أَرَتني

لَدَيكَ سَحابَتَي كَرَمٍ وَجودِ

لَدَيكَ سَحابَتَي كَرَمٍ وَجودِ

For, had my hopes not shown me

If it wasn't for my hopes showing me

With you two clouds of generosity and bounty,

Your clouds of generosity and bounty

لَأَصبَحَ حَبلُ شِعري طَوقَ غُلٍّ

لَأَصبَحَ حَبلُ شِعري طَوقَ غُلٍّ

مِنَ الأَيّامِ في عُنُقي وَجيدي

مِنَ الأَيّامِ في عُنُقي وَجيدي

The cord of my poetry would have become a fettering collar,

My poetry's rope would've been a choking collar

Imposed by the days upon my neck and throat.

From the days around my neck and chest

وَقَد حَرَّرتُ في مَديحِكَ جَهدي

وَقَد حَرَّرتُ في مَديحِكَ جَهدي

فَحَرِّر بِالنَدى صِلَةَ القَصيدِ

فَحَرِّر بِالنَدى صِلَةَ القَصيدِ

And I have refined my effort in your praise;

I have written in your praise my effort

So release, through bounty, the poem's reward.

So grace the poem with your rain of generosity