أَبَا المُظفَّرِ مَا ظَفِرْتُ بِنعْمَةٍ

أَبَا المُظفَّرِ مَا ظَفِرْتُ بِنعْمَةٍ

إلاَّ وَجَدْتُكَ فَاتِحاً لي بَابَها

إلاَّ وَجَدْتُكَ فَاتِحاً لي بَابَها

Abu al-Muzaffar, never have I gained a blessing

O Abul Muzaffar, I have gained no blessing

without finding you opening its door for me.

Except finding you opening its door for me

وإليكَ أُنهِي قِصَّةً لا سِيرةً

وإليكَ أُنهِي قِصَّةً لا سِيرةً

بِذيُولِ فَضْلِكَ أَعْلَقَتْ أسْبابَها

بِذيُولِ فَضْلِكَ أَعْلَقَتْ أسْبابَها

To you I submit a petition, not a biography,

And to you I complete a story, not a biography

that has fastened its cords to the skirts of your bounty.

With the tails of your kindness its causes cling

فَافْرِجٌ مَضِيقَ الكَرْبِ عَن فُرْجتِه

فَافْرِجٌ مَضِيقَ الكَرْبِ عَن فُرْجتِه

أَفْنَتْ لَدَى الشَّيْخِ الكَبِيرِ شَبَابَها

أَفْنَتْ لَدَى الشَّيْخِ الكَبِيرِ شَبَابَها

So free his robe from the straits of distress:

So relieve the straitness of distress from its relief

it has spent its youth with the aged man.

For at the great Shaykh it destroyed its youth

أَفنَيْتُ جِدَّتَها وَمَا خَانَ الصِّبَا

أَفنَيْتُ جِدَّتَها وَمَا خَانَ الصِّبَا

أَقْرانَها كَلاَّ وَلا أَتْرَابَها

أَقْرانَها كَلاَّ وَلا أَتْرَابَها

I have worn out its newness, while youth has not betrayed

I destroyed its intensity, and the splendor did not betray

its peers—certainly not, nor its age-mates.

Its peers, never! Nor its companions

وَلَطَالَمَا سَتَرَتْ قَبِيحَ مَلابِسي

وَلَطَالَمَا سَتَرَتْ قَبِيحَ مَلابِسي

مِن قَبْلِ مَاهَتَكَ الزَّمانُ حِجَابَها

مِن قَبْلِ مَاهَتَكَ الزَّمانُ حِجَابَها

And how often it concealed my shabby clothes

And for long it concealed the ugliness of my clothes

before Time tore its veil.

Before time tore its veils

وَغَدَتْ تُقِيمُ ليَ المحَافِلَ خِدُمَةً

وَغَدَتْ تُقِيمُ ليَ المحَافِلَ خِدُمَةً

جَعَلَتْ عَبِيداً لي بِها أَرْبَابَها

جَعَلَتْ عَبِيداً لي بِها أَرْبَابَها

And it came to make gatherings rise to serve me,

And it started holding assemblies in service to me

making their masters slaves to me in those gatherings.

Making through it slaves as lords for me

فَاغْنَمْ ثَنائي عَاجِلاً وَثَناءَهَا

فَاغْنَمْ ثَنائي عَاجِلاً وَثَناءَهَا

وَارْبَحْ ثَوابي آجلاً وَثَوَابَها

وَارْبَحْ ثَوابي آجلاً وَثَوَابَها

So win my praise at once, and its praise,

So gain my praise promptly and its praise

and earn my reward hereafter, and its reward.

And profit my deferred reward and its reward

وَاجْعَلْ لَها بَدَلاً وَعَطْفُكَ سَابِقٌ

وَاجْعَلْ لَها بَدَلاً وَعَطْفُكَ سَابِقٌ

تَوْكِيدَها وَمُحقِّقٌ إعْرابَها

تَوْكِيدَها وَمُحقِّقٌ إعْرابَها

And give it a substitute; your kindness precedes

And make for it a replacement, your kindness precedes

its emphasis, and confirms its inflection.

Confirming it and actualizing its syntax