يَأَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي أَمسَت لَهُ

يَأَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي أَمسَت لَهُ

بُصرى وَغَزَّةَ سَهلُها وَالأَجرَعُ

بُصرى وَغَزَّةَ سَهلُها وَالأَجرَعُ

O king, to whom now belong

O King, to whom Gaza and its plains belong

Busra and Gaza, their plain and sandy upland;

And Jaffa, its harbor and citadel abide by his command

وَمَليكُها وَقَسيمُها عَن أَمرِهِ

وَمَليكُها وَقَسيمُها عَن أَمرِهِ

يُعطى بِأَمرِكَ ما تَشاءُ وَيُمنَعُ

يُعطى بِأَمرِكَ ما تَشاءُ وَيُمنَعُ

and their ruler and apportioner, at his bidding,

Whatever you desire is granted by your order, whatever you forbid is denied

is granted what you wish at your command, or denied it.

I complain to you, so hear my grievance: I have been burdened with offspring

أَشكو إِلَيكَ فَأَشكِني ذُرِّيَّةً

أَشكو إِلَيكَ فَأَشكِني ذُرِّيَّةً

لا يَشبَعونَ وَأُمُّهُم لا تَشبَعُ

لا يَشبَعونَ وَأُمُّهُم لا تَشبَعُ

I complain to you—grant me relief—about children

Whose appetite is never sated, nor their mother's appetite appeased

who never eat their fill, nor does their mother.

They have multiplied against me, neither the elder dies

كَثُروا عَلَيَّ فَما يَموتُ كَبيرُهُم

كَثُروا عَلَيَّ فَما يَموتُ كَبيرُهُم

حَتّى الحِسابِ وَلا الصَغيرُ المُرضَعُ

حَتّى الحِسابِ وَلا الصَغيرُ المُرضَعُ

They have grown too numerous for me: their eldest does not die

Until his time comes, nor does the suckling infant

until the Reckoning, nor does the little suckling.

My master's coldness in providing for them

وَجَفاءَ مَولايَ الضَنينِ بِمالِهِ

وَجَفاءَ مَولايَ الضَنينِ بِمالِهِ

وَوَلوعَ نَفسٍ هَمُّها بِيَ موزَعُ

وَوَلوعَ نَفسٍ هَمُّها بِيَ موزَعُ

And of my patron's coldness, miserly with his wealth,

And a soul obsessed with dividing it among them

and a soul's obsession, its concern fixed on me,

And the old craft, while our kinsmen

وَالحُرفَةَ القُدمى وَأَنَّ عَشيرَنا

وَالحُرفَةَ القُدمى وَأَنَّ عَشيرَنا

زَرَعوا الحُروثَ وَأَنَّنا لا نَزرَعُ

زَرَعوا الحُروثَ وَأَنَّنا لا نَزرَعُ

and long-standing poverty, and the fact that our kin

Till the soil yet we do not

have sown their fields, while we do not sow.

You were sent to the poets like Dahis

فَبُعِثتَ لِلشُعَراءِ مَبعَثَ داحِسٍ

فَبُعِثتَ لِلشُعَراءِ مَبعَثَ داحِسٍ

أَو كَالبَسوسِ عِقالَها تَتَكَوَّعُ

أَو كَالبَسوسِ عِقالَها تَتَكَوَّعُ

So you were sent to the poets as Dahis was sent,

Or a camel freed of her nose rope

or like al-Basus, hobbling in her tether.

You forbade me to satirize the miser, so my censure cannot make him afraid

وَمَنَعتَني شَتمَ البَخيلِ فَلَم يَخَف

وَمَنَعتَني شَتمَ البَخيلِ فَلَم يَخَف

شَتمي فَأَصبَحَ آمِناً لا يَفزَعُ

شَتمي فَأَصبَحَ آمِناً لا يَفزَعُ

And you forbade me to revile the miser, so he did not fear

You took away the subtlety of speech, leaving no harmful lampoon

my insults; he became secure, without alarm.

Nor beneficial praise

وَأَخَذتَ أَطرارَ الكَلامِ فَلَم تَدَع

وَأَخَذتَ أَطرارَ الكَلامِ فَلَم تَدَع

شَتماً يَضُرُّ وَلا مَديحاً يَنفَعُ

شَتماً يَضُرُّ وَلا مَديحاً يَنفَعُ

And you took away the choicest parts of speech, leaving

You were sent to the world to gather its riches

no insult that hurts, nor praise that benefits.

And collect its taxes, always accumulating

وَبُعِثتَ لِلدُنيا تُجَمِّعُ مالَها

وَبُعِثتَ لِلدُنيا تُجَمِّعُ مالَها

وَتَصُرُّ جِزيَتَها وَدَأباً تَجمَعُ

وَتَصُرُّ جِزيَتَها وَدَأباً تَجمَعُ

And you were sent into the world to gather its wealth,

You denied yourself its bounty but granted it to the workers

and bundle up its tribute, gathering tirelessly.

So you are the most excellent greedy one

وَمَنَعتَ نَفسَكَ فَضلَها وَمَنَحتَها

وَمَنَعتَ نَفسَكَ فَضلَها وَمَنَحتَها

أَهلَ الفَعالِ فَأَنتَ خَيرٌ مولَعُ

أَهلَ الفَعالِ فَأَنتَ خَيرٌ مولَعُ

And you denied yourself its surplus, and bestowed it upon

Until a cure comes to you in departure

people of noble deeds; you are good, passionately devoted.

And reaches your neglect, while the most obedient slave remains

حَتّى يَجيءَ إِلَيكَ عِلجٌ نازِحٌ

حَتّى يَجيءَ إِلَيكَ عِلجٌ نازِحٌ

فَيُصيبَ عَفوَتَها وَعَبدٌ أَوكَعُ

فَيُصيبَ عَفوَتَها وَعَبدٌ أَوكَعُ

Until a foreigner from afar comes to you

The weak family with no good in them

and gains its choicest portion, as does a crooked-footed slave,

Are best, while the likes of them altogether are mere rabble

وَالعَيلَةُ الضَعفى وَمَن لا خَيرُهُ

وَالعَيلَةُ الضَعفى وَمَن لا خَيرُهُ

خَيرٌ وَمِثلُهُمُ غُثاءٌ أَجمَعُ

خَيرٌ وَمِثلُهُمُ غُثاءٌ أَجمَعُ

and the feeble poor, and those whose good is not

A mother you claimed for them, but their mother died

good, and all their like are flotsam.

In the days of 'Aad when Tubba' died

أُمٌّ زَعَمتَ لَهُم وَماتَت أُمُّهُم

أُمٌّ زَعَمتَ لَهُم وَماتَت أُمُّهُم

في عَهدِ عادٍ حينَ ماتَ التُبَّعُ

في عَهدِ عادٍ حينَ ماتَ التُبَّعُ

You claimed to be their mother, though their mother died

You will soon claim to be their mother

in the age of ʿAd, when Tubbaʿ died.

Whilst they ride you because of their weight or suckle you

فَلتوشِكَنَّ وَأَنتَ تَزعُمُ أُمُّهُم

فَلتوشِكَنَّ وَأَنتَ تَزعُمُ أُمُّهُم

أَن يَركَبوكَ بِثِقلِهِم أَو يَرضَعوا

أَن يَركَبوكَ بِثِقلِهِم أَو يَرضَعوا

So, as you claim to be their mother, you will surely soon

And I see those who inherited the estate of Muhammad

have them ride you with their weight, or suckle.

Are shining stars while your star gleams

وَأَرى الَّذينَ حَوَوا تُراثَ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَأَرى الَّذينَ حَوَوا تُراثَ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَفَلَت نُجومُهُمُ وَنَجمُكَ يَسطَعُ

أَفَلَت نُجومُهُمُ وَنَجمُكَ يَسطَعُ

And I see those who held Muhammad's inheritance—

their stars have set, while your star shines.