أعزيزَ بغدادٍ أعِدْ نظَراً لنا

أعزيزَ بغدادٍ أعِدْ نظَراً لنا

فلقد سَمعْتَ عزيزَ مصْرٍ ما فَعَلْ

فلقد سَمعْتَ عزيزَ مصْرٍ ما فَعَلْ

O mighty lord of Baghdad, look upon us once more;

My dear Baghdad, be prepared for us

for you have heard what the mighty lord of Egypt did.

For you have heard what your dear Egypt has done

ولقد أبَى دِينٌ غَدوْتَ عَزيزَه

ولقد أبَى دِينٌ غَدوْتَ عَزيزَه

أن تُستضامَ رجالُه أو تُستذَلْ

أن تُستضامَ رجالُه أو تُستذَلْ

And the faith whose champion you have become surely refuses

And this religion, of which you are the beloved,

to let its men be wronged or humiliated.

Refuses for its men to be wronged or disgraced

ولنا حُقوقٌ إن لحَظْتَ وكيدةٌ

ولنا حُقوقٌ إن لحَظْتَ وكيدةٌ

سيَما ولاحِقُها بسابقها اتَّصَل

سيَما ولاحِقُها بسابقها اتَّصَل

And we have firm claims, if you would consider them,

We have rights - if you reflect - and a plot

especially since their later claim is linked to their earlier one.

Especially as its sequel is linked to its precedent

حَقّانِ قد وجَبا عليكَ فسالفاً

حَقّانِ قد وجَبا عليكَ فسالفاً

حَقُّ الودادِ وآنِفاً حقُّ الأمَل

حَقُّ الودادِ وآنِفاً حقُّ الأمَل

Two claims have become binding upon you: of old,

Two rights have befallen you, so in the past

the claim of affection, and now the claim of hope.

There is the right of affection, and now the right of hope

فامنُنْ وأوْفِ لنا بِملْءِ رَجائنا

فامنُنْ وأوْفِ لنا بِملْءِ رَجائنا

كَيْلاً لعَمْري فيه قَبلَك لم يُكَل

كَيْلاً لعَمْري فيه قَبلَك لم يُكَل

So bestow your favor, and give us the full measure of our hope—

So favor us and fulfill our hopes completely

a measure, by my life, never meted out for it before you.

An amount that, by my life, none before you has fulfilled

إنّا لنسأَلُ منك مَنْ في طَبْعهِ

إنّا لنسأَلُ منك مَنْ في طَبْعهِ

أن يَبْتدي كَرماً وإن هو لم يُسَل

أن يَبْتدي كَرماً وإن هو لم يُسَل

Indeed, in you we petition one whose nature is

We ask from you one whose nature

to initiate generosity, even when unasked.

Is to begin generosity even when not asked

وأقَلُّ فِكْرِك في أجلِّ أُمورِنا

وأقَلُّ فِكْرِك في أجلِّ أُمورِنا

كافٍ ولكنْ هل لنا ذاك الأقَلّ

كافٍ ولكنْ هل لنا ذاك الأقَلّ

The least of your thought upon the greatest of our affairs

Your slightest consideration of our greatest affairs

suffices—but is even that little ours?

Is enough, but do we even have that least amount?

خَلَلاً إليك وخَلّةً نشكو فمُرْ

خَلَلاً إليك وخَلّةً نشكو فمُرْ

بسَدادِ خَلَّتِنا وتَسديدِ الخَلَل

بسَدادِ خَلَّتِنا وتَسديدِ الخَلَل

We complain to you of deficiency and need; so command

A breach to you and an intimacy in which we complain, so pass

that our need be met and the deficiency made good.

Judgment on the righteousness of our intimacy and rectify the breach

فالدّهرُ كالقلَمِ الّذي لكَ طاعةً

فالدّهرُ كالقلَمِ الّذي لكَ طاعةً

ما قُلتَ قامَ برأْسهِ لك وامتْثَل

ما قُلتَ قامَ برأْسهِ لك وامتْثَل

For Time is like the pen that, in obedience to you,

For time is like a pen that obeys you

at your word stands on its head for you and obeys.

Whatever you say, it carries out immediately

جِئْنا نُحاكِمهُ إليك فلا تَمِلْ

جِئْنا نُحاكِمهُ إليك فلا تَمِلْ

ونُطيلُ شَكواهُ عليكَ فلا تَمَلّ

ونُطيلُ شَكواهُ عليكَ فلا تَمَلّ

We have come to plead against it before you; do not be partial,

We have come to arbitrate it through you so do not weary

and we prolong our complaint against it to you; do not grow weary.

And we prolong complaining of it to you so do not tire

زمَنٌ أطاعَك فاعتلَى بك قَدْرُه

زمَنٌ أطاعَك فاعتلَى بك قَدْرُه

لِمْ صار يَقْصِدُنا ونحن لك الخَوَل

لِمْ صار يَقْصِدُنا ونحن لك الخَوَل

A Time that obeyed you, and thus rose in worth through you—

A time that obeyed you, so its fate was elevated through you

why does it now target us, when we are your servants?

Why does it now target us while we are your followers?

حُيّيِتَ غَيثَ فضائلٍ وفَواضِلٍ

حُيّيِتَ غَيثَ فضائلٍ وفَواضِلٍ

ما شِيمَ بَرقُ سَحابهِ إلاّ هَطَل

ما شِيمَ بَرقُ سَحابهِ إلاّ هَطَل

Hail to you, a life-giving rain of virtues and bounties,

You were showered with virtuous merits

whose cloud's lightning is never sighted without rain pouring down.

Its clouds did not spark lightning except to pour rain

مَولىً إذا كَفَلَتْ عِنايتُه بنا

مَولىً إذا كَفَلَتْ عِنايتُه بنا

نِلْنا المُنَى كَمَلاً وإلاَّ لم نَنَل

نِلْنا المُنَى كَمَلاً وإلاَّ لم نَنَل

A patron: when his care takes charge of us,

A guardian - if his care takes us into its charge -

we attain our wishes in full; otherwise we attain nothing.

We attain our wishes completely, otherwise we do not attain

مُذْ صِرْتُ مُتَّكِلاً عليه غَفلْتُ عن

مُذْ صِرْتُ مُتَّكِلاً عليه غَفلْتُ عن

نَفْسي إليه وقلتُ نِعْمَ المُتَّكَل

نَفْسي إليه وقلتُ نِعْمَ المُتَّكَل

Since I came to rely on him, I have ceased to care for

Since I became reliant on Him, I neglected

myself, looking to him, and said, ‘What an excellent support!’

Myself and said, “What an excellent Trustee!”

فكأنّني بحَوائجي مَقْضِيّةً

فكأنّني بحَوائجي مَقْضِيّةً

مَقْطورةً تَسري إليَّ على عَجَل

مَقْطورةً تَسري إليَّ على عَجَل

So it is as though I see my needs fulfilled,

So it is as if my needs are fulfilled

linked in a train, hastening toward me by night,

Bundled up and brought hastily to me

مَزْفوفةٌ مثْلَ العَرائسِ أصبحَتْ

مَزْفوفةٌ مثْلَ العَرائسِ أصبحَتْ

في الحَلْي نَجلوها عليك وفي الحُلَل

في الحَلْي نَجلوها عليك وفي الحُلَل

escorted like brides, now adorned

Like brides adorned in beauty and fine clothes

in jewels and robes, as we unveil them before you.

We sent them to you adorned and clothed

يا مالِكي بشَمائلٍ كَمُلَتْ له

يا مالِكي بشَمائلٍ كَمُلَتْ له

لمّا رأَى صَدْري على الوُدِّ اشْتَمل

لمّا رأَى صَدْري على الوُدِّ اشْتَمل

O you who own me through qualities perfected in you,

O you whose praiseworthy traits have reached perfection

when you saw my breast enfolding affection:

When my heart saw your affection, it embraced

كَرمٌ إكْرامٌ لدَيك ولم يَزَلْ

كَرمٌ إكْرامٌ لدَيك ولم يَزَلْ

وَحْشُ المَوَدّةِ بالكَرامةِ يُحتْبَل

وَحْشُ المَوَدّةِ بالكَرامةِ يُحتْبَل

with you, generosity is gracious treatment; and always

Generosity and honor are with you and have not ceased

the wild creature of affection is snared by kindness.

The captivation of love flows abundantly with generosity

فابْسُطْ على الإخْلالِ عُذْرَ مُقَصِّرٍ

فابْسُطْ على الإخْلالِ عُذْرَ مُقَصِّرٍ

فبِواجِب الإخلاصِ يوماً ما أخَلْ

فبِواجِب الإخلاصِ يوماً ما أخَلْ

So spread over my shortcomings the excuse of one who falls short;

So extend the excuse of one deficient

for not a day has he failed in the duty of sincere devotion.

In his duty of loyalty for one day he slipped

إن لم يكُنْ لك باللّقاء مُواصلاً

إن لم يكُنْ لك باللّقاء مُواصلاً

فالمُتبغَى منه الدُّعاءُ وقد وَصَل

فالمُتبغَى منه الدُّعاءُ وقد وَصَل

If he has not kept contact with you through meeting,

If he is not continuously keeping company with you

then what is sought from him is prayer, and that has reached you.

Then what is sought from him is supplication, and it has arrived

لو غابَ عنك لِنَظْمِ مَدْحِك غَيْبةً

لو غابَ عنك لِنَظْمِ مَدْحِك غَيْبةً

قَعَدَتْ به فاعْذِرْ فَعنْك بهِ اشْتغَل

قَعَدَتْ به فاعْذِرْ فَعنْك بهِ اشْتغَل

If he left you to compose your praise, and his absence

If he was absent from composing your praise inverses

held him back, forgive him: your praise kept him from you.

His preoccupation with you excuses him

أبَتِ المدائحُ أَن تَزيدَكَ رتْبةً

أبَتِ المدائحُ أَن تَزيدَكَ رتْبةً

حتّى لصارَ لك التّحلّي كالعَطَل

حتّى لصارَ لك التّحلّي كالعَطَل

Praises refuse to raise you in rank,

Eulogies refused to increase your status

so that, for you, adornment has become like going unadorned.

Until praising you became like something in disuse

فُتَّ المدائحَ بالمَنائح واغْتدَى

فُتَّ المدائحَ بالمَنائح واغْتدَى

بكَلامِنا وكِرامِنا منها خَجَل

بكَلامِنا وكِرامِنا منها خَجَل

You surpassed praises with your gifts, and there arose

Decorate eulogies with elegies and be content

in our speech and our noble men shame because of them.

With our words and generosity from them ashamed

فإذا منَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ ما لَم يَفْعلوا

فإذا منَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ ما لَم يَفْعلوا

وإذا شكَرْنا لم نَقُلْ ما لم يُقَل

وإذا شكَرْنا لم نَقُلْ ما لم يُقَل

For when you give, you do what they have never done,

So when you bestow favor, you do what they did not

and when we give thanks, we say nothing that has not been said.

And when we thank, we do not say what was not said

قسَماً لأنتَ أجَلُّ مَن ألِفَ النَّدى

قسَماً لأنتَ أجَلُّ مَن ألِفَ النَّدى

خُلُقاً فحُلَّ من العُلا أعلَى مَحَلّ

خُلُقاً فحُلَّ من العُلا أعلَى مَحَلّ

I swear, you are the noblest of those who have made generosity

I swear you are the noblest of those the dew has nourished

their nature; so dwell in glory's highest station.

In character, so solve this loftiest station

وهواكَ عندي مثْلُ شِعرٍ قُلتُه

وهواكَ عندي مثْلُ شِعرٍ قُلتُه

فإذا ادَّعاهُ سِوايَ قلتُ قد انْتحَل

فإذا ادَّعاهُ سِوايَ قلتُ قد انْتحَل

My love for you is like a poem I composed;

And your love to me is like poetry I recited

if another claims it, I say, ‘He has plagiarized.’

So if anyone other than me claims it, I say he has falsely attributed it

ووُقوفُ أَمْري فوقَ هذا رُبّما

ووُقوفُ أَمْري فوقَ هذا رُبّما

سَمِعَ الحسودُ به ومَنْ يَسمَعْ يَخَل

سَمِعَ الحسودُ به ومَنْ يَسمَعْ يَخَل

And my position stands higher than this; perhaps

And my matter standing above this - perhaps

the envious one has heard of it—and whoever hears will surmise.

The envious heard of it, and whoever hears is split

دُمْ دِيمةً للجودِ واحْيَ حياً له

دُمْ دِيمةً للجودِ واحْيَ حياً له

في ظلّ إقبال وعزٍّ مُقْتَبَل

في ظلّ إقبال وعزٍّ مُقْتَبَل

Remain a steady rain of generosity, and live as its life-giving shower,

Remain eternally generous and eternally alive

in the shade of good fortune and glory in its prime,

In the shade of influence and power soon to come

كالشّمسِ لا كالبَدْرِ يَطلُعُ دائماً

كالشّمسِ لا كالبَدْرِ يَطلُعُ دائماً

فالبَدْرُ يَنقُصُ كُلّما قالوا كَمَل

فالبَدْرُ يَنقُصُ كُلّما قالوا كَمَل

like the sun, not the full moon, ever rising—

Like the sun - not the moon - rising eternally

for the full moon wanes whenever they say, ‘It is full’—

For the moon wanes every time they say it has reached its fullness

في دَولةٍ مَوْعودةٍ بدَوامها

في دَولةٍ مَوْعودةٍ بدَوامها

مَحْسودةٍ أيّامُها بَينَ الدُّوَل

مَحْسودةٍ أيّامُها بَينَ الدُّوَل

in a reign promised permanence,

In a state promised to eternally remain

whose days are envied among reigns.

Its days envied among nations