لَعَمري لَقَد كانَت قُرابُةُ مُكنِفٍ

لَعَمري لَقَد كانَت قُرابُةُ مُكنِفٍ

قُرابَةَ صِدقٍ لَيسَ فيها تَقاطُعُ

قُرابَةَ صِدقٍ لَيسَ فيها تَقاطُعُ

By my life, Mukannif’s bond of kinship was indeed

By my life, Muknif’s kinship was indeed

a bond of true loyalty, untouched by any severing of ties.

A true kinship, unbroken by estrangement.

أَجارَهُمُ مِن بَعدِ ذُلٍّ وَقِلَّةٍ

أَجارَهُمُ مِن بَعدِ ذُلٍّ وَقِلَّةٍ

وَخَوفٍ شَديدٍ وَالبِلادُ بَلاقِعُ

وَخَوفٍ شَديدٍ وَالبِلادُ بَلاقِعُ

He granted them protection when they had been humbled and left few,

He granted them protection after humiliation and scarcity,

and gripped by terrible fear, while the lands lay desolate.

And grievous fear, while the lands lay desolate.

فَجازَ جِوارَ العَبدِ بَعدَ اِختِلافا

فَجازَ جِوارَ العَبدِ بَعدَ اِختِلافا

وَرَدَّ أُموراً كانَ فيها تَنازُعُ

وَرَدَّ أُموراً كانَ فيها تَنازُعُ

Thus the slave’s grant of safe-conduct was upheld after dispute,

So the slave’s pledge of protection held good after disagreement,

and the matters over which there had been contention were referred

And he referred matters over which there had been dispute

إِلى الرُكنِ وَالوالي المُصيب حُكومَةً

إِلى الرُكنِ وَالوالي المُصيب حُكومَةً

فَقالَ بِحَقٍّ لَيسَ فيهِ تَخادُعُ

فَقالَ بِحَقٍّ لَيسَ فيهِ تَخادُعُ

to the mainstay, and to the governor, unerring in judgment.

To the pillar of support and the ruler, sound in judgment.

Then he ruled with justice, with no deceit in his ruling.

So he spoke justly, with no deceit in his words.

فَلِلَهِ جَندي ساسَبورَ لَقَد نَجَت

فَلِلَهِ جَندي ساسَبورَ لَقَد نَجَت

غَداةَ مَنَتْها بِالبَلاءِ اللَوامِعُ

غَداةَ مَنَتْها بِالبَلاءِ اللَوامِعُ

So, praise be to God, Jundishapur indeed escaped

Praise be to God for Jundi Sasbur—she was indeed saved

the morning the flashing blades had marked her for calamity.

On the morning when gleaming blades visited calamity upon her.