1. سيدي والظنون فيك جميلة

    وأياديك بالأماني كفيله

    My lord, my expectations of you are fair,

    and your favors guarantee the fulfillment of hopes.

  2. لا تحل عن جميل رأيك إني

    ما لي اليوم غير رأيك حيله

    Do not turn from your gracious judgment, for I

    have no recourse today except your judgment.

  3. واصطنعني كما اصطنعت بإسدا

    ء يد من شفاعة أو وسيله

    And favor me as you have favored me, by bestowing

    a kindness through intercession or some means.

  4. لا تضعني فلست منك مضيعاً

    ذمة الحب والأيادي الجميله

    Do not abandon me, for I do not neglect toward you

    the bond of love and your gracious favors.

  5. وأجرني فالخطب عض بناب

    بيه وأجرى إلى حماي خيوله

    Grant me refuge, for calamity has bitten with its fangs

    and driven its steeds against my sanctuary.

  6. ولو أني دعا بنصري داع

    كنت لي خير معشر وفصيله

    And were a caller to summon aid for me,

    you would be my finest company and kin.

  7. أنه أمري إلى الذي جعل الل

    ه أمور الدنيا له مكفوله

    Convey my plight to him for whom God has made

    the world's affairs an assured charge.

  8. وأراه في ملكه الآية الك

    برى فولاه ثم كان مديله

    And shown him, in his kingship, the greatest sign,

    then appointed him and gave him the upper hand.

  9. أشهدته عناية الله في التم

    حيص أن كان عونه ومنيله

    God's providence showed him, through testing,

    that He was his helper and benefactor:

  10. العزيز السلطان والملك الظا

    هر فخر الدنيا وعز القبيله

    the mighty Sultan, King al-Zahir,

    pride of the world and glory of the tribe;

  11. ومجير الإسلام من كل خطب

    كاد زلزال بأسه أن يزيله

    protector of Islam from every calamity

    whose violent shock nearly swept it away;

  12. ومديل العدو بالطعنة النجلا

    ء تفري ماذيه ونصوله

    and vanquisher of the foe with a gaping thrust

    that rends his mail and his blades;

  13. وشكور لأنعم الله يفني

    في رضاه غدوه وأصيله

    grateful for God's blessings, spending

    his mornings and evenings seeking His pleasure.

  14. وتلطف في وصف حالي وشكوى

    خلتي يا صفيه وخليله

    Describe my state gently, and voice

    my need, O his chosen friend and intimate.

  15. قل له والمقال يكرم من مث

    لك في محفل العلا أن يقوله

    Say to him—for such words honor one like

    you who speaks them in the assembly of the exalted:

  16. يا خوند الملوك يا معدل الد

    هر إذا عدل الزمان فصوله

    O lord of kings, O rectifier of fate,

    when time alters its seasons,

  17. لا تقصر في جبر كسرى فما زل

    ت أرجيك للأيادي الطويلة

    do not fail to mend my broken state; I have never ceased

    to look to you for far-reaching favors.

  18. أنا جار لكم منعتم حماه

    ونهجتم إلى المعالي سبيله

    I am your protected neighbor, whose sanctuary you defended,

    and whose path to eminence you opened;

  19. وغريب أنستموه على الوحش

    ة والحزن بالرضى والسهوله

    a stranger you comforted amid loneliness

    and sorrow, with favor and kindness.

  20. وجمعتم من شمله فقضى الل

    ه فراقاً وما قضى مأموله

    You gathered his scattered household, but God decreed

    separation, and did not fulfill his hope.

  21. غاله الدهر في البنين وفي الأه

    ل وما كان ظنه أن يغوله

    Fate ravaged him through his sons and his family,

    though he had not expected it to ravage him.

  22. ورمته النوى فقيداً قد اجت

    احت عليه فروعه وأصوله

    Separation cast him down bereaved, having swept away

    his branches and his roots.

  23. فجذبتم بضبعه وأنلتم

    كل ما شاءت العلا أن تنيله

    Then you lifted him by the arm and bestowed on him

    all that nobility wished to bestow.

  24. ورفعتم من قدر قبل أن يش

    كو إليكم عياءه وخموله

    You raised his standing before he could complain

    to you of his weariness and obscurity.

  25. وفرضتم له حقيقة ود

    حاش لله أن ترى مستحيله

    You pledged him true affection—

    God forbid that it should ever change!

  26. همة ما عرفتها لسواكم

    وأنا من خبرت دهري وجيله

    A lofty resolve I have known in none but you,

    and I have known my age and its people.

  27. والعدا نمقوا أحاديث إفك

    كلها في طرائق معلوله

    The enemies embroidered tales of falsehood,

    all following dubious paths.

  28. روجوا في شأني غرائب زور

    نصبوها لأمرهم أحبوله

    They spread strange lies about my affairs,

    setting them as a snare for their purpose.

  29. ورموا بالذي أرادوا من الب

    هتان ظناً بأنها مقبولة

    They hurled whatever slander they wished,

    supposing it would be accepted.

  30. زعموا أنني أتيت من الأقوا

    ل ما لا يظن بي أن أقوله

    They claimed that I had uttered words

    no one would think me capable of saying.

  31. كيف لي أغمط الحقوق وأني

    شكر نعماكم علي الجزيله

    How could I slight what is due—and how could I render

    thanks for your abundant favors to me?

  32. كيف لي أنكر الأيادي التي تع

    رفها الشمس والظلال الظليله

    How could I deny the favors acknowledged

    by the sun and the sheltering shadows?

  33. إن يكن ذا فقد برئت من الل

    ه تعالى وخنت جهراً رسوله

    If that were so, I would have disowned God

    Most High, and openly betrayed His Messenger.

  34. طوقونا أمر الكتاب فكانت

    لقداح الظنون فينا مجيله

    They hung responsibility for the document about our necks,

    making us a field for casting suspicion's arrows.

  35. لا ورب الكتاب أنزله الل

    ه على قلب من وعى تنزيله

    No! By the Lord of the Book, which God revealed

    to the heart of him who grasped its revelation,

  36. ما رضينا بذاك فعلاً ولا جئ

    ناه طوعاً ولا اقتفينا دليله

    we never approved that deed, nor did we undertake

    it willingly, nor follow its lead.

  37. إنما سامنا الكتاب ظلوم

    لا يرجى دفاعه بالحيله

    Only an oppressor compelled us to the writing,

    whom no stratagem could fend off:

  38. سخط ناجز وحلم بطيء

    وسلاح للوخز فينا صقيله

    swift in anger, slow in forbearance,

    with weapons polished to stab us.

  39. ودعوني ولست من منصب الح

    كم ولا ساحباً لديهم ذيوله

    And they summoned me, though I held no judicial office,

    nor trailed its robes among them.

  40. غير أني وشى بذكري واش

    يتقصى أوتاره وذحوله

    But an informer denounced me by name,

    pursuing his grudges and vendettas.

  41. فكتبنا معولين على حل

    مك تمحو الاصار عنا الثقيله

    So we wrote, relying on your forbearance,

    that you would erase our heavy burdens.

  42. ما أشرنا به لزيد ولا عم

    رو ولا عينوا لنا تفصيله

    We made no reference in it to Zayd or Amr,

    nor did they specify its details for us.

  43. إنما يذكرون عمن وفيمن

    مبهمات أحكامها منقوله

    They speak only of 'from whom' and 'concerning whom',

    vague matters whose judgments are reported.

  44. ويظنون أن ذاك على ما

    أضمروا من شناعة أو رذيله

    And they suppose it accords with whatever

    infamy or baseness they have harbored.

  45. وهو ظن عن الصواب بعيد

    وظلام لم يحسنوا تأويله

    Yet that supposition is far from the truth,

    a darkness they failed to interpret rightly.

  46. وجناب السلطان نزهه الله ع

    ن العاب بالهدى والفضيله

    And His Majesty the Sultan—may God keep him

    free of blemishes through guidance and virtue—

  47. وأجل الملوك قدراً صفوح

    يرتجي ذنب دهره ليقيله

    the greatest of kings in rank, is forgiving,

    hoping his age will err, so he may pardon it.

  48. فاقبلوا العذر إننا اليوم نرجو

    بحياة السلطان منكم قبوله

    Accept our excuse: today we hope,

    by the Sultan's life, that you will accept it.

  49. وأعينوا على الزمان غريباً

    يشتكي جدب عيشه ومحوله

    Help against fate a stranger

    who laments the barrenness and drought of his livelihood:

  50. جاركم ضيفكم نزيل حماكم

    لا يضيع الكريم يوماً نزيله

    your protected neighbor, your guest, lodged in your sanctuary;

    no noble man ever neglects his guest.

  51. جددوا عنده رسوم رضاكم

    فرسوم الكرام غير محيله

    Renew for him the signs of your favor,

    for the marks of noble men never fade.

  52. داركوه برحمة فلقد أم

    ست عقود اصطباره محلوله

    Rescue him with mercy, for now

    the bonds of his endurance have come undone.

  53. وانحلوه جبراً فليس يرجي

    غير إحسانكم لهذي النحيله

    Grant him compensation, for he expects

    only your kindness in this gift.

  54. يا حميد الآثار في الدهر يا

    ألطنبغا يا روض العلا ومقيله

    O you whose deeds through time are praiseworthy, O

    Altunbugha, garden of glory and its noonday retreat!

  55. كيف بالخانقاه ينقل عني

    لا لذنب أو جنحة منقوله

    How can the khanqah be taken from me,

    with no sin or transgression reported?

  56. بل تقلدتها شغوراً بمرسو

    م شريف وخلعة مسدوله

    Rather, I took it up when vacant, by noble decree,

    with a robe of honor draped upon me.

  57. ولقد كنت آملاً لسواها

    وسواها بوعده أن ينيله

    I had indeed hoped for something besides it,

    and that, as promised, he would bestow that other thing.

  58. وتوثقت للزمان عليها

    بعقود ما خلتها محلوله

    And I secured it against the turns of time

    with bonds I never thought would be undone.

  59. أبلغن قصتي فمثلك من يق

    صد فعل الحسنى بمن ينتمي له

    Convey my story, for one like you seeks

    to act kindly toward whoever is attached to him.

  60. واغنموا من مثوبتي ودعائي

    قربة عند ربكم مقبوله

    And gain, through my recompense and prayers,

    an accepted means of drawing near to your Lord.

  61. واصحب العز ظافراً بالأماني

    واترك العصبة العدا مفلوله

    Keep company with glory, attaining your hopes,

    and leave the band of foes broken.

  62. واعتمل في سعادة الملك الظا

    هر أن تمحو الأذى وتزيله

    Work for the good fortune of King al-Zahir,

    to efface harm and remove it,

  63. وتعيد الدنيا لأحسن شمل

    حين تضحي بسعده مشموله

    and restore the world to its finest harmony,

    when it comes to be enfolded in his good fortune.

  64. واطلب النصر من سعادته يص

    حبك داباً في الظعن والحيلوله

    Seek victory through his good fortune; it will accompany

    you always, in departure and in dwelling.

  65. وارتقب ما يحله بالأعادي

    في جمادى أو زد عليه قليله

    Watch for what he brings upon the enemies

    in Jumada, or a little later.

  66. وخذوه فألاً بحسن قبول

    صدق الله في الزمان مقوله

    And take it as an omen, with gracious acceptance;

    may God fulfill its words in time.

  67. فلقد كان يحسن الفال عند ال

    مصطفى دائماً ويرضى جميله

    For an omen always found favor with

    the Chosen One, who welcomed its beauty.