أَلا يا مَليكا يُرتَجى وَيهابُ

أَلا يا مَليكا يُرتَجى وَيهابُ

وَبَحراً لَهُ في المَكرُماتِ عَبابُ

وَبَحراً لَهُ في المَكرُماتِ عَبابُ

Ah, O king looked to with hope and held in awe,

Behold, O king to be hoped for and feared,

And ocean whose noble deeds have a surging tide,

And a sea of generosity ever turbid!

وَمَولى عَدَتني مُذ نَشأتُ مَكارِمٌ

وَمَولى عَدَتني مُذ نَشأتُ مَكارِمٌ

تَصوبُ بِها مِن راحَتَيهِ سَحابُ

تَصوبُ بِها مِن راحَتَيهِ سَحابُ

And lord whose bounties have passed me by since my youth,

And a lord who has graced me since I grew up with generosity

Clouds from his two palms rain them down.

Whose clouds of favor rain upon me.

أَطَعتُكَ في سِرّي وَجَهريَ جاهِداً

أَطَعتُكَ في سِرّي وَجَهريَ جاهِداً

فَلَم يَكُ لي إِلّا الملامَ ثَوابُ

فَلَم يَكُ لي إِلّا الملامَ ثَوابُ

I obeyed you in private and in public, striving hard,

I obeyed you openly and in secret striving

Yet I had no reward but reproach.

Yet for me there was only blame as reward.

وَأَعمَلتُ جُهدي في رِضاكَ مُشَمِّراً

وَأَعمَلتُ جُهدي في رِضاكَ مُشَمِّراً

وَمِن دونِ أَن أَفضي إِلَيهِ حِجابُ

وَمِن دونِ أَن أَفضي إِلَيهِ حِجابُ

And I exerted all my effort, zealous to win your favor,

And I strove with all my might to please you

But a veil barred me from attaining it.

Without attaining the object of my quest.

وَلَمّا كَبا جَدّي لَدَيكَ وَلَم يَسُغ

وَلَمّا كَبا جَدّي لَدَيكَ وَلَم يَسُغ

لِنَفسي عَلى سُوءِ المُقامِ شَرابُ

لِنَفسي عَلى سُوءِ المُقامِ شَرابُ

And when my fortune stumbled with you, and no drink

And when my effort with you was unavailing

Would go down for me amid the misery of my stay,

And I could not on hard conditions quench my thirst,

وَقَلَّ اِصطِباري حينَ لا ليَ عِندَكُم

وَقَلَّ اِصطِباري حينَ لا ليَ عِندَكُم

مِنَ العَطفِ إِلّا قَسوَةٌ وَعِتابُ

مِنَ العَطفِ إِلّا قَسوَةٌ وَعِتابُ

And my patience dwindled, when I had from you no

And my patience ran out, since with you

Tenderness but harshness and rebuke,

I met with nothing but harshness and reproach,

فَرَرتُ بِنَفسي أَبتَغي فَرجَةً لَها

فَرَرتُ بِنَفسي أَبتَغي فَرجَةً لَها

عَلى أَنَّ حُلوَ العَيشِ بَعدَكَ صابُ

عَلى أَنَّ حُلوَ العَيشِ بَعدَكَ صابُ

I fled to save myself, seeking relief for my soul,

I fled with myself seeking deliverance for it

Though life's sweetness away from you is bitter sap.

Although after you the sweetness of life is miserable.

وَما هَزَّني إِلّا رَسولُكَ إِذ جَرَت

وَما هَزَّني إِلّا رَسولُكَ إِذ جَرَت

إِلَيَّ بِهِ صُمُّ الهِضابِ رِكابُ

إِلَيَّ بِهِ صُمُّ الهِضابِ رِكابُ

And nothing stirred me but your messenger, when there raced

But only your messenger drove me away

Toward me, bearing him, mounts like solid hills.

When the night of desolation came to me riding,

فَقالَ مَقالاً لم أَجِد عَن مَقالِهِ

فَقالَ مَقالاً لم أَجِد عَن مَقالِهِ

مَناباً وَعَن بَعضِ الأُمورِ سَحابُ

مَناباً وَعَن بَعضِ الأُمورِ سَحابُ

So he spoke words for which I could find

And said in words I found no way of avoiding,

No alternative, and clouds shroud some affairs.

Though clouds encompass some events:

دَعاكَ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ مُثَوِّباً

دَعاكَ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ مُثَوِّباً

فَقُلتُ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ مُجابُ

فَقُلتُ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ مُجابُ

'The Commander of the Faithful has summoned you, renewing his call.'

The Commander of the Faithful has summoned you with favor.

So I said, 'The Commander of the Faithful shall be answered.'

I said: To the Commander of the Faithful I shall come.

فَجئتُ أُغِذُّ السَيرَ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

فَجئتُ أُغِذُّ السَيرَ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

تَطيرُ بِسَيري في الفَلاةِ عُقابُ

تَطيرُ بِسَيري في الفَلاةِ عُقابُ

So I came, pressing on until it seemed

So I traveled feeding my journey

An eagle carried me flying through the wilderness.

As though eagles in the desert bore me on.

وَما كُنتُ بَعدَ البَينِ إِلذا مُوَطِّناً

وَما كُنتُ بَعدَ البَينِ إِلذا مُوَطِّناً

بِعَزمي عَلى أَن لا يَكونَ إِيّابُ

بِعَزمي عَلى أَن لا يَكونَ إِيّابُ

And after parting, I had only steeled myself

And after separation I was not wont

With firm resolve that there would be no return.

To turn back with resolve that there should be no return.

وَلَكِنَّكَ الدُنيا إِليَّ حَبيبَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّكَ الدُنيا إِليَّ حَبيبَةٌ

فَما عَنكَ لي إِلّا إِلَيكَ ذَهابُ

فَما عَنكَ لي إِلّا إِلَيكَ ذَهابُ

But you are the world that is dear to me,

But you are to me a beloved world

So my only departure from you is toward you.

So I have no course but to come back to you.

أَصِب بِالرِضا عَنّي مَسَرَّةَ مُهجَتي

أَصِب بِالرِضا عَنّي مَسَرَّةَ مُهجَتي

وَإِن لَم يَكُن فيما أُتيتُ صَوابُ

وَإِن لَم يَكُن فيما أُتيتُ صَوابُ

Bring my heart joy by being pleased with me,

Gladden my afflicted soul with acceptance of me

Even if what I did was not right.

Though in what I have done there is no right.

وَفَضلُكَ في تَركِ المَلامِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَفَضلُكَ في تَركِ المَلامِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَحَقِّكَ في قَلبي ظُبّى وَحِرابُ

وَحَقِّكَ في قَلبي ظُبّى وَحِرابُ

And your magnanimity lies in forgoing reproach, for it is—

Your bounty in forbearing to blame, for it

By your honor—sword-edges and spears in my heart.

Is your due from my heart, a fawn, a ruin.

إِذا كانت النُعمى تُكَدَّرُ بِالأَذى

إِذا كانت النُعمى تُكَدَّرُ بِالأَذى

فَما هيَ إِلّا مِحنَةٌ وَعَذابُ

فَما هيَ إِلّا مِحنَةٌ وَعَذابُ

If a blessing is clouded by hurt,

When blessings are embittered by annoyance

It is nothing but an ordeal and torment.

They become only trial and punishment.

وَلا تَقبضَنْ بِالمَنعِ كَفّي فَإِنَّهُ

وَلا تَقبضَنْ بِالمَنعِ كَفّي فَإِنَّهُ

وَجَدِّكَ نُقضٌ لِلعُلا وَخَرابُ

وَجَدِّكَ نُقضٌ لِلعُلا وَخَرابُ

And do not close my hand by withholding, for that is—

So do not close my hands through denial, for it

By your grandeur—the destruction and ruin of greatness.

In your truth, is breach of compact and devastation.

فَواللَهِ ما أَبغي بِذَلِكَ غَيرَ أَن

فَواللَهِ ما أَبغي بِذَلِكَ غَيرَ أَن

تُحَلّى بِجَدوى راحَتَيكَ رِقابُ

تُحَلّى بِجَدوى راحَتَيكَ رِقابُ

So, by God, I seek nothing by this except that

By God, I desire by that nothing but

Necks be adorned with the bounty of your two palms,

That necks should be adorned by your favors.

وَيَهدي إِلَيكَ الناسُ دونَ تَصَنُّعٍ

وَيَهدي إِلَيكَ الناسُ دونَ تَصَنُّعٍ

مَحَبَّةَ صِدقٍ لَم يَشُبها كِذابُ

مَحَبَّةَ صِدقٍ لَم يَشُبها كِذابُ

And people offer you, without affectation,

And that people unsolicited should guide

A sincere love untainted by falsehood.

To you, with true love no liar has rivaled.

فَكُلٌّ نَوالٍ لي إِلَيكَ اِنتسابُهُ

فَكُلٌّ نَوالٍ لي إِلَيكَ اِنتسابُهُ

وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ بِالثَناءِ مُئابُ

وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ بِالثَناءِ مُئابُ

So every bounty of mine traces its lineage to you,

So everyone who attaches himself to me,

And you are rewarded for it with praise.

And you praise him for that attachment.

بَقيتَ مَكينَ الأَمرِ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

بَقيتَ مَكينَ الأَمرِ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

وَما لاحَ في أُفقِ السَماءِ رَبابُ

وَما لاحَ في أُفقِ السَماءِ رَبابُ

May you remain firm in authority as long as the sun rises,

You remain firmly seated however long the daybreak gleamed,

And as long as white clouds gleam on the sky's horizon.

And the Pleiades glimmered in the sky’s expanse.