لَمْ يُبْقِ لِي جُودُ الْوِلايَةِ حَاجَةً

لَمْ يُبْقِ لِي جُودُ الْوِلايَةِ حَاجَةً

فِي الأَمْنِ أَوْ فِي الْجَاهِ أَوْ فِي الْمَالِ

فِي الأَمْنِ أَوْ فِي الْجَاهِ أَوْ فِي الْمَالِ

The bounty of your rule has left me no need

The bounty of governorship left me lacking nothing

for security, rank, or wealth.

In security, prestige, or wealth.

فَغَدَا لِقَاءُ أُولِي الْفَضَائِلِ بُغْيَتِي

فَغَدَا لِقَاءُ أُولِي الْفَضَائِلِ بُغْيَتِي

وَرَأَيْتُ هَذَا الْقَصْدَ شَرْطَ كَمَالِ

وَرَأَيْتُ هَذَا الْقَصْدَ شَرْطَ كَمَالِ

So meeting those endowed with virtues became my desire,

So meeting people of virtue became my aim,

and I deemed this aim a condition of perfection.

And I deemed this pursuit a condition of perfection.

أَجْمَلْتُهُ وَتَشَوَّفَتْ لِبَيَانِهِ

أَجْمَلْتُهُ وَتَشَوَّفَتْ لِبَيَانِهِ

هِمَمٌ فَكُنْتَ مُفَسِّرَ الإِجْمَالِ

هِمَمٌ فَكُنْتَ مُفَسِّرَ الإِجْمَالِ

I stated it in summary, while for its elucidation yearned

I stated it briefly, and for its explanation yearned

lofty aspirations—and you became the interpreter of the summary.

Aspiring spirits; so you became the interpreter of that summary.

وَخصَصْتُ بِالإِلْقَاءِ غَيْرَكَ غَيْرَةً

وَخصَصْتُ بِالإِلْقَاءِ غَيْرَكَ غَيْرَةً

وَجَعَلْتُ ذِكْرَكَ شَاهِدَ الأَعْمَالِ

وَجَعَلْتُ ذِكْرَكَ شَاهِدَ الأَعْمَالِ

And, in jealous devotion, I singled out all others for rejection,

And I reserved the recitation for someone other than you, out of jealousy,

and made your name a witness to deeds.

And I made mention of you a witness to deeds.

للَبِسْتَ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي الْعَلاَ قُشُبَ الْمُلاَ

للَبِسْتَ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي الْعَلاَ قُشُبَ الْمُلاَ

وَتَرَكْتَ أَهْل الأَرْضِ فِي أَسْمَالِ

وَتَرَكْتَ أَهْل الأَرْضِ فِي أَسْمَالِ

Surely, O Ibn Abī al-ʿAlāʾ, you have donned the fresh garments of the notables,

Indeed you have donned, O son of Abu al-Ala, fresh robes,

leaving all the people of earth in tatters.

And left the people of the earth in rags.

إِنْ دَوَّنَ الْفُضَلاَءُ فَضْلاً مُعْلَماً

إِنْ دَوَّنَ الْفُضَلاَءُ فَضْلاً مُعْلَماً

فَلَقَدْ أَتَيْتَ عَلَيْهِ بِالإِكْمَالِ

فَلَقَدْ أَتَيْتَ عَلَيْهِ بِالإِكْمَالِ

If men of merit record some signal excellence,

If the virtuous have recorded a notable excellence,

you have surely brought it to perfection.

Then you have surely brought it to perfection.

تُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ رَعِيَّةٌ آمَالُهَا

تُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ رَعِيَّةٌ آمَالُهَا

فِي أَنْ تَفُوزَ يَدَاكَ بِالآمَالِ

فِي أَنْ تَفُوزَ يَدَاكَ بِالآمَالِ

Your subjects praise you—their hopes

Your subjects praise you; their hopes lie

are that your hands may attain all that is hoped for.

In your hands attaining what is hoped for.

أَرْعَيْتَهَا هَمَلاً فَلَمْ يَطْرُقْ لَهَا

أَرْعَيْتَهَا هَمَلاً فَلَمْ يَطْرُقْ لَهَا

بِمَنِيعِ سُورِكَ طَارِقُ الإِهْمَالِ

بِمَنِيعِ سُورِكَ طَارِقُ الإِهْمَالِ

You let them graze at liberty; yet never came near them,

You let them graze untended; they were never approached

barred by your impregnable wall, the night-marauder Neglect.

Within your impregnable wall by the night-visitor of neglect.

مَنْ كُنْتَ وَالِيهِ تَوَلَّتْهُ الْعُلاَ

مَنْ كُنْتَ وَالِيهِ تَوَلَّتْهُ الْعُلاَ

وَمَنِ اطَّرَحْتَ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ وَالِي

وَمَنِ اطَّرَحْتَ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ وَالِي

Whomever you governed, Glory took into her care;

Whomever you governed, eminence took into its care;

and whomever you cast aside has no protector at all.

And whoever you cast aside has no protector.