أَطَعتُ في الأَيّامِ سَدّاجي

أَطَعتُ في الأَيّامِ سَدّاجي

وَسارَتِ الدُنيا بِأَحداجي

وَسارَتِ الدُنيا بِأَحداجي

Throughout my days, I obeyed my driver,

Through the days, I obeyed my deceiver,

and the world journeyed on with my camel litters.

And the world bore my camel-litters along.

آلَيتُ ما أَدري وَلا عالَمي

آلَيتُ ما أَدري وَلا عالَمي

مِن كَوكَبي في الحِندِسِ الداجي

مِن كَوكَبي في الحِندِسِ الداجي

I swear, neither I nor my sage knows

I have sworn: neither I nor my world knows

aught of my star in the pitch-black night.

Of my star in the deep, pitch-black darkness.

لا بَسَطَ الخالِقُ في مُدَّتي

لا بَسَطَ الخالِقُ في مُدَّتي

حَتّى يَرى الناظِرُ هَدّاجي

حَتّى يَرى الناظِرُ هَدّاجي

May the Creator not lengthen my allotted span

May the Creator not prolong my lifespan

until an onlooker sees my tottering gait.

Until the onlooker sees my tottering gait.

قَد ذُبِحَ الذارِعُ في ساحَةٍ

قَد ذُبِحَ الذارِعُ في ساحَةٍ

فَيا لَهُ مِن دَمِ أَوداجِ

فَيا لَهُ مِن دَمِ أَوداجِ

The long-strider has been slaughtered in a courtyard—

The long-striding bull has been slaughtered in a courtyard;

ah, what a flood of jugular blood!

And oh, what blood from jugular veins!

يَسلُكُ مَحمودٌ وَأَمثالُهُ

يَسلُكُ مَحمودٌ وَأَمثالُهُ

طَريقَ خاقانَ وَكُنداجِ

طَريقَ خاقانَ وَكُنداجِ

Maḥmūd and all his likes will tread

Mahmud and his peers tread

the road of Khāqān and Kundāj.

The path of Khaqan and Kundaj.