لَو كُنتُ جاراً لِشَمسِ الملكِ ما خَطَرَت

لَو كُنتُ جاراً لِشَمسِ الملكِ ما خَطَرَت

مَساءَتي لِصُروفِ الدَهرِ في خَلَدِ

مَساءَتي لِصُروفِ الدَهرِ في خَلَدِ

If I were Shams al-Mulk's neighbor, never would

If I were a neighbor to the sun of the king, my faults

The thought of harming me cross the mind of time's vicissitudes.

Would not have occurred to the turns of fate in eternity.

وَكانَ أَرفَعَ مِن كيوانَ مَنزِلَةً

وَكانَ أَرفَعَ مِن كيوانَ مَنزِلَةً

قَدري وَأَمنَعَ مِن عِرّيسَةِ الأَسَدِ

قَدري وَأَمنَعَ مِن عِرّيسَةِ الأَسَدِ

And higher than Saturn in rank would be

And my destiny would have been higher than Kaiwan's station,

My standing, and more unassailable than a lion's lair.

And my shelter safer than the lioness's den.

لكِنَّني بَينَ قَومٍ ما رَعوا ذِمَمي

لكِنَّني بَينَ قَومٍ ما رَعوا ذِمَمي

فيهِم وَلا أَخَذوا مِن عَثرَةٍ بِيَدي

فيهِم وَلا أَخَذوا مِن عَثرَةٍ بِيَدي

But I am among people who have not honored my rights

But I am among a people who did not keep their covenant with me,

Among them, nor taken my hand to lift me from a stumble—

Nor did they support me in my stumbling.

الحابِسينَ أَوانَ الخِصبِ كَلبَهُم

الحابِسينَ أَوانَ الخِصبِ كَلبَهُم

وَالمَوقِدي النارِ بَينَ السَجفِ وَالنَضَدِ

وَالمَوقِدي النارِ بَينَ السَجفِ وَالنَضَدِ

Those who confine their dog in times of plenty,

They who restrain the time of fertility like their dog,

And kindle the fire between the curtain and piled furnishings.

And kindle the fire between the rug and the pillow.