أَمِنَ الْمُلْكِ حَسْبُكَ مِنْ أَمِينِ

أَمِنَ الْمُلْكِ حَسْبُكَ مِنْ أَمِينِ

وُقِيتَ نَوائِبَ الزَّمَنِ الْخَؤُونِ

وُقِيتَ نَوائِبَ الزَّمَنِ الْخَؤُونِ

O Trustee of the Kingdom, what a trusted guardian you are!

Are you content with kingship, O trusted one,

May you be spared the calamities of treacherous Time.

You were spared the vicissitudes of fickle time,

لِيَهْنِ الْمُلْكَ أَنَّكَ بِتَّ مِنُْ

لِيَهْنِ الْمُلْكَ أَنَّكَ بِتَّ مِنُْ

بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْخَدِينِ مِنَ الْخَدِينِ

بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْخَدِينِ مِنَ الْخَدِينِ

Let the kingdom rejoice that you have become to it

So that the kingdom is adorned that you live in it

what one intimate companion is to another.

With the status of the beloved among the beloved.

وَلَوْ تُحْبا بِقَدْرِكَ كُنْتَ مِنْهُ

وَلَوْ تُحْبا بِقَدْرِكَ كُنْتَ مِنْهُ

مَكانَ التّاجِ مِنْ أَعْلى الْجَبِينِ

مَكانَ التّاجِ مِنْ أَعْلى الْجَبِينِ

Were you honored according to your worth, you would be to it

Had you wished as you deserve, you would have been

what the crown is to the top of the brow.

In its place, the crown over the highest forehead.

سَمَوْتَ بِهِمَّتَيْ عَزْمٍ وَحَزْمٍ

سَمَوْتَ بِهِمَّتَيْ عَزْمٍ وَحَزْمٍ

وَطُلْتَ بِشِيمَتَيْ كَرَمٍ وَدِينِ

وَطُلْتَ بِشِيمَتَيْ كَرَمٍ وَدِينِ

You have risen through the twin aspirations of resolve and prudence,

You rose with resolve and fortitude,

and excelled through the twin traits of generosity and faith.

And excelled in magnanimity and faith.

فَما تَنْفَكُّ مِنْ فَضْلٍ عَمِيمٍ

فَما تَنْفَكُّ مِنْ فَضْلٍ عَمِيمٍ

عَلَى الْعافِي وَمِنْ فَضْلٍ مُبِينِ

عَلَى الْعافِي وَمِنْ فَضْلٍ مُبِينِ

You are never without all-embracing bounty

So you are never without abundant grace

toward the supplicant, nor without manifest excellence.

Upon the healthy, and clear favor.

كَأَنَّكَ مُطْلَقُ الْحَدَّيْنِ ماضٍ

كَأَنَّكَ مُطْلَقُ الْحَدَّيْنِ ماضٍ

أَفاضَتْ ماءهُ أَيْدِي الْقُيُونِ

أَفاضَتْ ماءهُ أَيْدِي الْقُيُونِ

You are like a keen blade, its two edges unleashed,

As if you were set free to go and return

whose sheen the smiths' hands have poured forth.

Whose water overflowed from the hands of clouds.

صَفاءُ خلائِقٍ وَبَهاءُ خَلْقٍ

صَفاءُ خلائِقٍ وَبَهاءُ خَلْقٍ

فَسَعْداً لِلْقُلُوبِ وَلِلْعُيُونِ

فَسَعْداً لِلْقُلُوبِ وَلِلْعُيُونِ

Purity of character and beauty of form—

The purity of character and beauty of manner,

what delight for hearts and eyes!

So happiness to hearts and eyes.

كَأَيّامِ الصِّبا حَسُنَتْ وَرَقَّتْ

كَأَيّامِ الصِّبا حَسُنَتْ وَرَقَّتْ

وَأَيّامِ الصَّبابَةِ وَالشُّجُونِ

وَأَيّامِ الصَّبابَةِ وَالشُّجُونِ

Like the days of youth, lovely and tender,

Like the days of youth, beautiful and leafy,

and the days of ardent longing and sorrows.

And the days of youth and passion.

ظَنَنْتُ بِكَ الْجَمِيلَ فَكُنْتَ أَهْلاً

ظَنَنْتُ بِكَ الْجَمِيلَ فَكُنْتَ أَهْلاً

لِتَصْدِيقِي وَتَصْدِيقِ الظُّنُونِ

لِتَصْدِيقِي وَتَصْدِيقِ الظُّنُونِ

I thought well of you, and you proved worthy

I thought the best of you, so you were worthy

of vindicating me and confirming my expectations.

Of my supposition and the suppositions of hopes.

وَما شيِمَتْ سَحابُ نَداكَ إِلاّ

وَما شيِمَتْ سَحابُ نَداكَ إِلاّ

سَحَبْتُ ذَلاذِلَ الْحَمْدِ الْمَصُونِ

سَحَبْتُ ذَلاذِلَ الْحَمْدِ الْمَصُونِ

Whenever the clouds of your bounty were watched,

The clouds of your help did not rain

I trailed the hems of unsullied praise.

Except I drew the cascades of protected praise.

فَما بالِي جُفِيتُ وَكُنْتُ مِمَّنْ

فَما بالِي جُفِيتُ وَكُنْتُ مِمَّنْ

إِلَيْهِ الشَّوْقُ مَجْلُوبُ الْحَنِينِ

إِلَيْهِ الشَّوْقُ مَجْلُوبُ الْحَنِينِ

Why, then, have I been shunned, when I was one

So why did I lose favor, when I was one

toward whom longing was drawn in yearning?

To whom longing pulls, full of yearning?

أَبَعْدَ تَعَلُّقِي بِكَ مُسْتَعيذاً

أَبَعْدَ تَعَلُّقِي بِكَ مُسْتَعيذاً

وَأَخْذِي مِنْكَ بِالْحَبْلِ الْمَتِينِ

وَأَخْذِي مِنْكَ بِالْحَبْلِ الْمَتِينِ

Is it after I clung to you, seeking refuge,

After my attachment to you, seeking refuge,

and took hold of your firm rope,

And my taking hold of the firm rope?

يُرَشَّحُ لِلْعُلى مَنْ لَيْسَ مِثْلِي

يُرَشَّحُ لِلْعُلى مَنْ لَيْسَ مِثْلِي

وَيُدْعى لِلغِنى مَنْ كانَ دُونِي

وَيُدْعى لِلغِنى مَنْ كانَ دُونِي

that one not my equal is put forward for high rank,

One not like me is nominated for highness,

and one who was beneath me is summoned to wealth?

And one below me is invited to wealth.

أَرى عِيدانَ قَوْمٍ غَيْرَ عُودِي

أَرى عِيدانَ قَوْمٍ غَيْرَ عُودِي

مِنَ الأَثْمارِ مُثْقَلَةَ الْغُصُونِ

مِنَ الأَثْمارِ مُثْقَلَةَ الْغُصُونِ

I see other men's trees, but not my own,

I see the sticks of people not my limbs

with branches weighed down by fruit.

Laden with fruits, bending the branches.

وَمالِي لا أَذُمُّ إِلَيْكَ دَهْرِي

وَمالِي لا أَذُمُّ إِلَيْكَ دَهْرِي

إِذا الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ تَقَدَّمُونِي

إِذا الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ تَقَدَّمُونِي

And why should I not complain to you of my times,

What is wrong with me that I do not devote my life to you

when those behind me have overtaken me?

When those behind me surpass me?

وَما إِنْ قُلْتُ ذا حَسَداً لِحُرٍّ

وَما إِنْ قُلْتُ ذا حَسَداً لِحُرٍّ

أَفاقَ الدَّهْرُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْجُنُونِ

أَفاقَ الدَّهْرُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْجُنُونِ

Nor have I said this out of envy of a noble man

I do not say this out of envy for the free man

for whom Time has recovered from madness.

Whom time made insane.

وَلكِنَّ الْعُمُومَ مِنَ الْغَوادِي

وَلكِنَّ الْعُمُومَ مِنَ الْغَوادِي

أَحَقُّ بِشِيمَةِ الْغَيْثِ الْهَتُونِ

أَحَقُّ بِشِيمَةِ الْغَيْثِ الْهَتُونِ

Yet the morning showers' reaching everyone

Rather, general blessings

better befits the nature of steadily pouring rain.

Are more worthy of the quality of pouring rain.

لَقَدْ قَبَضَ الزَّمانُ يَدِي وَأَعْيَتْ

لَقَدْ قَبَضَ الزَّمانُ يَدِي وَأَعْيَتْ

عَلَيَّ رِياضَهُ الْحَظِّ الْحَرُونِ

عَلَيَّ رِياضَهُ الْحَظِّ الْحَرُونِ

Time has indeed clenched my hand; it proved beyond me

Indeed, time has tied my hands and exhausted me

to tame stubborn fortune.

Of its playgrounds of fleeting fortune.

وَما اسْتَصْرَخْتُ فَيْضَ نَداكَ حَتّى

وَما اسْتَصْرَخْتُ فَيْضَ نَداكَ حَتّى

عَنانِي مِنْهُ بِالْحَرْبِ الزَّبُونِ

عَنانِي مِنْهُ بِالْحَرْبِ الزَّبُونِ

I did not cry to the flood of your bounty for help until

I did not implore the outpouring of your help until

Time afflicted me with its fierce warfare.

It distracted me with volatile war.

بَقِيتَ لِرَوْحِ مَكْرُوبٍ لَهِيفٍ

بَقِيتَ لِرَوْحِ مَكْرُوبٍ لَهِيفٍ

دعاكَ وَفَكِّ مأْسُورٍ رَهِينِ

دعاكَ وَفَكِّ مأْسُورٍ رَهِينِ

May you endure to bring relief to one distressed and anguished

You remained for the soul of a weary prisoner

who called upon you, and to free a captive held in pledge.

Who calls you, so relieve a captive.

وَعِشْتَ مُحَسَّدَ الأَيّامِ تَسْمُو

وَعِشْتَ مُحَسَّدَ الأَيّامِ تَسْمُو

إِلى الْعَلْياءِ مُنْقَطِعَ القَرِينِ

إِلى الْعَلْياءِ مُنْقَطِعَ القَرِينِ

And may you live, envied for your days, rising

And you lived envied by days, rising

to the heights, without a peer.

To the most high, cut off from an equal.