قُل لِوالي العَهدِ إن لاقَيتَهُ

قُل لِوالي العَهدِ إن لاقَيتَهُ

وَوَلِيُّ العَهدِ أَولى بِالرَّشَد

وَوَلِيُّ العَهدِ أَولى بِالرَّشَد

Tell the heir apparent, if you meet him—

Tell the heir apparent, should you meet him,

and the heir apparent is most deserving of right guidance—

The heir apparent is more rightly guided.

إِنَّهُ وَاللَّهِ لَولا أَنتَ لَم

إِنَّهُ وَاللَّهِ لَولا أَنتَ لَم

يَنجُ مِنّي سالِماً عَبدُ الصَّمَد

يَنجُ مِنّي سالِماً عَبدُ الصَّمَد

Indeed, by God, but for you, never

By God, were it not for you, no servant

would Abd al-Samad have escaped me unharmed.

Of the Eternal would have escaped me unharmed.

إِنَّهُ قَد رامَ مِنّي خُطَّةً

إِنَّهُ قَد رامَ مِنّي خُطَّةً

لَم يَرُمها قَبلَهُ مِنّي أَحَد

لَم يَرُمها قَبلَهُ مِنّي أَحَد

He has indeed sought a course of action from me

He has plotted against me a plot—

that no one before him ever sought from me.

None before him has plotted its like against me.

فَهوَ مِمّا رامَ مِنّي كَالَّذي

فَهوَ مِمّا رامَ مِنّي كَالَّذي

يَقنُصُ الدُّراجَ مِن خيسِ الأَسَد

يَقنُصُ الدُّراجَ مِن خيسِ الأَسَد

So, in what he sought from me, he is like one who

So he is to me like one who would stalk

hunts francolins from a lion’s thicket.

A lynx from among base jackals.