إنْ تورّعْتُ أصْبَحَتْ حوْزَةُ

إنْ تورّعْتُ أصْبَحَتْ حوْزَةُ

المُلْكِ ضِياعاً لجُرأةِ الفُجّارِ

المُلْكِ ضِياعاً لجُرأةِ الفُجّارِ

If I act scrupulously, the domain

If I were to show restraint, then rulership

of the kingdom falls to ruin through the audacity of the wicked.

Would become wasted on the impudence of evildoers,

أوْ طَرَدْتُ العُفاةَ خِفتُ من

أوْ طَرَدْتُ العُفاةَ خِفتُ من

اللهِ إذا ما سُئِلْتُ عنْ أوْزارِ

اللهِ إذا ما سُئِلْتُ عنْ أوْزارِ

Or if I drive away the supplicants, I fear

Or if I expelled the immoral, I would fear

God when I am questioned about my burdens of sin.

God, if I were asked about their sins,

أو تقاعَدْتُ أصْبَحَ الأمْرُ فوْضى

أو تقاعَدْتُ أصْبَحَ الأمْرُ فوْضى

تلعَبُ الشّاةُ فيهِ بالجَزّارِ

تلعَبُ الشّاةُ فيهِ بالجَزّارِ

Or if I hang back, affairs become chaos,

Or if I retired, affairs would become chaos,

in which the sheep toys with the butcher.

Where lambs frolic with butchers.

أو تعرّضْتُ وانْتَدبْتُ سمعْتُ

أو تعرّضْتُ وانْتَدبْتُ سمعْتُ

النّقْدَ حالَ الإيرادِ والإصْدارِ

النّقْدَ حالَ الإيرادِ والإصْدارِ

Or if I step forward and volunteer, I hear

Or if I got involved and was appointed, I would hear

criticism in bringing in and sending out.

Criticism whether collecting or spending,

لايزالُ المَلامُ عنْهُ بحالٍ

لايزالُ المَلامُ عنْهُ بحالٍ

حالَةَ الشّيْخ وابْنِهِ والحِمارِ

حالَةَ الشّيْخ وابْنِهِ والحِمارِ

Blame is never lifted from him, whatever the circumstance—

Blame is always upon him, be he

like the plight of the old man, his son, and the donkey.

An old man, his son, or a donkey,

قدْتُهمْ للجِهادِ فاشْتَكوا الضّعْ

قدْتُهمْ للجِهادِ فاشْتَكوا الضّعْ

فَ وضجّوا لكَثْرَةِ الأسْفارِ

فَ وضجّوا لكَثْرَةِ الأسْفارِ

I led them to holy war; they complained of weakness,

I readied them for jihad, yet they complained of weakness

and clamored at the many journeys.

And clamored from too much traveling,

ملْتُ للصّلْحِ سمّوا الصّلْحَ شَرّاً

ملْتُ للصّلْحِ سمّوا الصّلْحَ شَرّاً

عكْسَ قوْلِ المُهيْمِنِ الجبّارِ

عكْسَ قوْلِ المُهيْمِنِ الجبّارِ

I inclined toward peace; they called peace evil,

I inclined towards peace, but they called peace evil,

contrary to the word of the Guardian, the Almighty.

Unlike what the Mighty Creator has said,

سُسْتُهُمْ لسْتُ أبتَغي غيْرَ حق ال

سُسْتُهُمْ لسْتُ أبتَغي غيْرَ حق ال

لاهِ أو قوْمَتي بحقِّ الجِوارِ

لاهِ أو قوْمَتي بحقِّ الجِوارِ

I governed them, seeking only what is due to

I judged them, for I seek nothing but God’s truth

God, or to fulfill the duty of neighborliness.

Or upholding the rights of neighborliness,

فجَزَوْني جزاءَ منْ يخدُمُ السلْ

فجَزَوْني جزاءَ منْ يخدُمُ السلْ

طانَ فيما مضى من الأعْصارِ

طانَ فيما مضى من الأعْصارِ

So they repaid me as one who served the sultan

So they rewarded me with the reward of one who serves the

in ages gone by was repaid,

Sultan from past eras,

منْ مَماليكٍ كالسِّباعِ ووُصْفا

منْ مَماليكٍ كالسِّباعِ ووُصْفا

نِ وغُزٍّ وديْلَمِ وتَتارِ

نِ وغُزٍّ وديْلَمِ وتَتارِ

by Mamluks like beasts of prey and servant-boys,

From slaves like lions, Ethiopians, Turks, and Tatars.

and Ghuzz, Daylamites, and Tatars.

I have not found a Muslim who would uphold my rights,

لمْ أجِدْ مُسْلِماً يقومُ بحقي

لمْ أجِدْ مُسْلِماً يقومُ بحقي

ناظِراً لي بمُقلَةِ اسْتعْبارِ

ناظِراً لي بمُقلَةِ اسْتعْبارِ

I found no Muslim who would uphold my rights,

Looking at me with the eye of esteem,

looking upon me with a tearful eye,

Or a patron who would give my case its due

أو وليّاً يعطي لطَوْريَ حقّاً

أو وليّاً يعطي لطَوْريَ حقّاً

ويَرى فضْلَهُ على الأطْوارِ

ويَرى فضْلَهُ على الأطْوارِ

or a friend who accords my station its due

And see his excellence over others.

and sees its excellence above other stations,

Except for one blind of heart who ties

غيرَ أعْمى الفؤادِ يعْلَقُ في

غيرَ أعْمى الفؤادِ يعْلَقُ في

رِجلي عُلوقَ الكُرومِ في الأشْجارِ

رِجلي عُلوقَ الكُرومِ في الأشْجارِ

except one blind of heart, who clings to

To my feet the vines of orchards from trees,

my leg as grapevines cling to trees,

Seeking all that his passions demanded,

طالِباً كلَّ ما اقْتَضاهُ هواهُ

طالِباً كلَّ ما اقْتَضاهُ هواهُ

هبْهُ بالرّبحِ عادَ أو بالخَسارِ

هبْهُ بالرّبحِ عادَ أو بالخَسارِ

demanding all that his desire calls for,

Give it through profit or loss.

whether it returns with profit or with loss.