قل لأمين الدين يا من له

قل لأمين الدين يا من له

كفّ تنوب الواكف الماطرا

كفّ تنوب الواكف الماطرا

Tell Amin al-Din: O you who have

Tell Amin al-Din, O you whose

a hand that takes the place of the pouring, rain-giving cloud,

Hand takes the place of the raining clouds

ومن إذا بُشِّر بالمجتدي

ومن إذا بُشِّر بالمجتدي

رأيت وجها مشرقا باشرا

رأيت وجها مشرقا باشرا

and when you are given glad news of a bounty-seeker,

And when the ambitious one is given good news

one sees a radiant, smiling face:

I saw a radiant, cheerful face

لامتّ من بابل حتى أرى

لامتّ من بابل حتى أرى

عامرها عن كثب غامرا

عامرها عن كثب غامرا

May I not die until I see Babylon's

Do not blame me from Babylon until I see

inhabited land laid waste, close at hand.

It thriving, immersed

وكيف لا أَدعو على بلدة

وكيف لا أَدعو على بلدة

مذ صرتَ فيها ناهيا آمرا

مذ صرتَ فيها ناهيا آمرا

And how could I not curse a town

And how can I not pray against a country

since you began to forbid and command there?

Since you became its forbidder and commander there

قطعت رسمي وتناسيتني

قطعت رسمي وتناسيتني

ولم تزل لي وأصلا ذاكرا

ولم تزل لي وأصلا ذاكرا

You cut off my allowance and deliberately forgot me,

You cut off ties with me and forgot me

though you had always kept ties with me and remembered me.

Yet you were still remembering our connection

وإن تغيّرت فلا حيلة

وإن تغيّرت فلا حيلة

أَحسبك الكاتب والناظرا

أَحسبك الكاتب والناظرا

And if you have changed, there is no remedy;

And if you changed, there is no solution

I reckon you both the scribe and the overseer—

I think of you as the writer and the overseer

اثنان ما خاطر مدحي ولا

اثنان ما خاطر مدحي ولا

شعث يوما لهما خاطرا

شعث يوما لهما خاطرا

two men: my praise has never imperiled, nor

Two whom my desire to praise never

ever ruffled, a thought of theirs.

Occured to me, nor did I ever have the notion

فاعلمها بالله إني امرؤ

فاعلمها بالله إني امرؤ

أضحي بفضل لهما شاكرا

أضحي بفضل لهما شاكرا

So know this, by God: I am a man

So let him know, by Allah, I am a man

who remains grateful to them both for a favor.

Who thanks them both sincerely

وانعم ووف المهر يا سيّدي

وانعم ووف المهر يا سيّدي

على التمام الشاعر الماهرا

على التمام الشاعر الماهرا

And be generous, and pay the dowry, O my master,

Please, my lord, pay generously

in full to the skilled poet.

The poet skilled in perfection

واستدم الشكر ولا تطو من

واستدم الشكر ولا تطو من

لم ير إلا شاكرا ناشرا

لم ير إلا شاكرا ناشرا

And sustain gratitude, and do not overlook one

And keep giving thanks, and do not refuse

who has only ever been seen grateful and spreading praise.

One who has only seen you as thankful and spreading