صَيَّرْتَ خُوزِستانَ حَرْباً قائماً

صَيَّرْتَ خُوزِستانَ حَرْباً قائماً

ونفَيْتَ عنها العَدْلَ والإحْسانا

ونفَيْتَ عنها العَدْلَ والإحْسانا

You turned Khuzestan into a war ever raging,

You turned Khuzistan into a raging war,

and banished justice and benevolence from it.

And banished justice and benevolence from it.

وتَركْتَ جُملةَ أَهلها وبلادِها

وتَركْتَ جُملةَ أَهلها وبلادِها

فطلَبْنَ منكَ ومن يدَيْكَ أَمانا

فطلَبْنَ منكَ ومن يدَيْكَ أَمانا

You abandoned all of it—its people and its lands—

And left all its people and its lands,

so they sought safety from you and from your own hands.

So they sought safety from you and your hands.

أَبقاَك مَجْدُ المُلْكِ يَحْسَبُ أَنّك

أَبقاَك مَجْدُ المُلْكِ يَحْسَبُ أَنّك

تَكْفي الأمورَ وتَنصَحُ السُّلطانا

تَكْفي الأمورَ وتَنصَحُ السُّلطانا

Majd al-Mulk retained you, thinking that you

Majd al-Mulk kept you on, thinking that you

could manage affairs and counsel the Sultan sincerely,

Would manage affairs and faithfully advise the sultan.

ويكونُ مثْلُكَ معْ حقارةِ قَدرِه

ويكونُ مثْلُكَ معْ حقارةِ قَدرِه

سَنتَيْنِ يَرفعُ دَخْلَ خُوزِسْتانا

سَنتَيْنِ يَرفعُ دَخْلَ خُوزِسْتانا

and that someone like you, despite his paltry standing,

And should someone like you, with his paltry worth,

could spend two years collecting Khuzestan’s revenue,

Raise Khuzistan's revenue for two years,

وتُصيبُ كُلَّ ذخيرةٍ ووديعةٍ

وتُصيبُ كُلَّ ذخيرةٍ ووديعةٍ

ويَمُرُّ ذلك كلُّه مَجّانا

ويَمُرُّ ذلك كلُّه مَجّانا

turn it all into a hoard and a deposit held in trust,

And seize every treasure and entrusted deposit,

and let all of that pass scot-free.

And all of this cost you nothing?

كَلاّ فَمجْدُ المُلْكِ أبعدُ هِمّةً

كَلاّ فَمجْدُ المُلْكِ أبعدُ هِمّةً

وأَتَمُّ تَدبيراً وأَعظَمُ شانا

وأَتَمُّ تَدبيراً وأَعظَمُ شانا

No indeed—Majd al-Mulk’s resolve reaches farther,

No! Majd al-Mulk is loftier in ambition,

his planning is more consummate, his stature greater.

More thorough in planning, and greater in stature.

ليُقطِّعَنَّ قفاكَ سَوْطُ عَذابِه

ليُقطِّعَنَّ قفاكَ سَوْطُ عَذابِه

وتُقاسيَنَّ عقابَه ألوانا

وتُقاسيَنَّ عقابَه ألوانا

The lash of his punishment will surely flay your nape,

The whip of his torment shall surely lacerate your nape,

and you will suffer his punishment in many forms.

And you shall surely endure his punishment in many forms.

ولتأْخُذَنَّ كما أَخذْتَ سَويّةً

ولتأْخُذَنَّ كما أَخذْتَ سَويّةً

لا إثْمَ في هذا ولا عُدْوانا

لا إثْمَ في هذا ولا عُدْوانا

You will surely be seized just as you seized—measure for measure—

And you shall receive in equal measure, just as you took—

with no blame in this, nor any injustice:

There is no sin in this, nor any transgression—

ذهَباً وفَرْشاً فاخراً وجواهراً

ذهَباً وفَرْشاً فاخراً وجواهراً

وسَوابقاً مِلْءَ العُيونِ حِسانا

وسَوابقاً مِلْءَ العُيونِ حِسانا

gold, sumptuous carpets, and jewels,

Gold, luxurious furnishings, and jewels,

and beautiful fleet horses that delight the eye,

And swift steeds whose beauty fills the eyes.

ترُضي بها السُّلطَانَ والخاتونَ والْ

ترُضي بها السُّلطَانَ والخاتونَ والْ

أُمراءَ والأجنادَ والأعوانا

أُمراءَ والأجنادَ والأعوانا

with which you gratify the Sultan, the Khatun, and the—

With them you please the sultan, the Khatun, and the

princes, the troops, and the retainers.

Emirs, the troops, and the aides.

عَشَراتُ آلافٍ تُقيمُكَ صاغراً

عَشَراتُ آلافٍ تُقيمُكَ صاغراً

من حَبْسَةٍ ونَقولُ زِنْها الآنا

من حَبْسَةٍ ونَقولُ زِنْها الآنا

Tens of thousands will free you, humbled,

Tens of thousands will bring you out, humbled,

from confinement—and we shall say, “Weigh them out now!”

From confinement, and we shall say: 'Weigh them out now!'

حتّى تكونَ وأَنت أَحقَرُ كائنٍ

حتّى تكونَ وأَنت أَحقَرُ كائنٍ

كأبيكَ كلْباً سَفْلةً وَزّانا

كأبيكَ كلْباً سَفْلةً وَزّانا

until you become—though already the vilest creature—

Until you become—and you are the vilest creature—

like your father: a dog in baseness and humiliation.

Like your father: a dog, a lowlife, a weigher.