يا واحِدَ الخُلَفاءِ غَيرَ مُدافَعٍ

يا واحِدَ الخُلَفاءِ غَيرَ مُدافَعٍ

كَرَماً وَأَحسَنَهُم نَداً وَصَنيعا

كَرَماً وَأَحسَنَهُم نَداً وَصَنيعا

O peerless one among caliphs, unchallenged

O unrivaled Commander, most generous and open-handed,

in generosity, and the best of them in bounty and kindness.

You are the one obeyed, so if asked as a favor,

أَنتَ المُطاعُ فَإِن سُئِلتَ رَغيبَةً

أَنتَ المُطاعُ فَإِن سُئِلتَ رَغيبَةً

أَلفَيتَ لِلراجي نَداكَ مُطيعا

أَلفَيتَ لِلراجي نَداكَ مُطيعا

You are obeyed; yet if you are asked for a boon,

You find for the hopeful your generosity compliant,

you find your bounty obedient to the hopeful.

I want you as means and intercessor for my need,

إِنّي أُريدُكَ أَن تَكونُ ذَريعَةً

إِنّي أُريدُكَ أَن تَكونُ ذَريعَةً

في حاجَتي وَوَسيلَةً وَشَفيعا

في حاجَتي وَوَسيلَةً وَشَفيعا

I want you to be a means

None has asked it of a caliph but me, openly or in secret,

of meeting my need, an intermediary and an intercessor.

Had I not come to you with this marvelous request,

ما سالَها أَحَدٌ سِوايَ خَليفَةً

ما سالَها أَحَدٌ سِوايَ خَليفَةً

في الناسِ مَرئِيّاً وَلا مَسموعا

في الناسِ مَرئِيّاً وَلا مَسموعا

No one but me has asked this of a caliph

You would not be so marvelous in your generous actions.

among mankind, whether seen or heard of.

لَو لَم أَمُتَّ بِها إِلَيكَ بَديعَةً

لَو لَم أَمُتَّ بِها إِلَيكَ بَديعَةً

ما كُنتَ في كَرَمِ الفَعالِ بَديعا

ما كُنتَ في كَرَمِ الفَعالِ بَديعا

Had I not appealed to you with this unprecedented request,

you would not be peerless in the nobility of your deeds.