مَجدٌ تَقاصرَ عن سَماهُ الفَرْقَدُ

وسعادةٌ أسبابها تتأكد

Glory that the heaven's heights fell short of

And happiness whose causes grow firmer

رُتَبٌ خُصِصْتَ بها وما صادفتها

لكنْ أَفادَكها الحِجَا والسؤدد

Ranks you were granted but never attained

Yet benefitted you pilgrimage and generosity

وسياسةٌ ورياسةٌ ونَفاسة

وتَفقُّد وتَسدُّد وتَأَيُّد

And politics, leadership and refinement

And care, resolve and support

إنّ الخلافةَ ما اصْطَفَتْك لنفسها

حتى اخْتُبِرت لكلِّ أمرٍ يُحْمَد

The caliphate did not choose you for itself

Until you were tested in every praiseworthy matter

فاشْتُقَّت الألْقابُ فيك لأنها

وصفٌ جميلٌ في صفاتٍ تُوجد

So titles were derived for you because they

Are a fine description of qualities found

فدَعتْك بالمأمون وهْي جِبِلَّة

مما يُثَبِّتُها لديك المَوْلِد

It called you al-Ma'mun and it is the nature

Of what establishes it in you, the birth

تاج الخلافِة وهْو تاجُ فَضائلٍ

تَقْضِي الجواهرُ دُونَه والعَسْجَد

Crown of the caliphate, and it is the crown of virtues

Beyond which jewels and gold pale

فَخْرُ الصَّنائِع أيُّ فخر صِبغه

أَبدا على طول المَدى يتجدَّد

Pride of industries, what pride its dye

Has forever, the ages renewing

وإذا وجيه الملك قيل فإنه

وَجْهٌ له من كلِّ فضلٍ مُسْعِد

And if the king's favorite, it's said he's

A face that enjoys every grace

نِعْمَ الذَّخيرةُ أنت للأمرِ الذي

يَنْحُو أميرَ المؤمنين ويَقْصِد

What a treasure you are for the matter which

Inclines the Commander of the Faithful and intends

يُزْهَى بك التشريفُ والخِلَعُ التي

جَلَّت وجوهر طرفها المتوقِّد

The honors and robes are adorned by you

Majestic, their jewel-studded trim glittering

ما خاب فيك دعاؤُنا ورجاؤُنا

واللهُ يَعْلم ما نقول ويَشْهَد

Our prayers and hopes in you were not vain

And God knows what we say and witnesses

كم من قَريحِ القلبِ في ظُلَم الدُّجَى

ودعاؤها لك دائم يتردّدُ

How many hearts' blood in the darkness of night

Pray for you always, repeating

وضعيفةٍ تحنو على أطفالها

فلَهم نوالُك كلَّ وقت يُورَد

And weak woman, kind to her children

For them, your bestowal comes at every chance

ومُكرِّرِ الزَّفَرَاتِ في مِحْرابه

يَقْرأ ويركع للإله ويسجد

And repeater of moans in his prayer niche

He reads, bows to his God, and prostrates

أوْليتَه بِرّا فأَخْلَص دعوةً

نجَحَتْ وأنت بها المَجِيد الأَسْعَد

You did him good, so his pure prayer

Succeeded, and you through it most blessed

فأبْشِرْ فهذا بعضُ ما سَتنالُه

إنّ الذي يأتِي أَجلُّ وأَرْغَد

So rejoice - this is some of what you'll attain

What comes is more sublime and copious

شَمِل الورى فَضْلانِ منك ونعمةٌ

أَسْديتَها أو مِنَّةٌ تُتقلَّد

The world encompassed your virtues and a boon

You gave or title you'd inherit

من يزرعِ المعروفَ زَرْعَك للنَّدى

لا شكَّ مثلَ حصيدِ سَعْدِك يَحْصُد

Who plants, like your planting, the crop of bounty

No doubt reaps a harvest like your fortune's harvest

مولاىَ قد أَوْليتَ عبدَك نِعمةً

فَله عليك بها ثَناءٌ سَرْمَد

My Master, you granted your servant bounty

For which he'll thank you, everlasting

والآن قد أضحتْ حَواشِى حالِه

هُدْبا فلا تُرْفَى ولا هي تُعْقَد

And now the circumstances of his state

Are confusion, may they never be slighted or tied up

فكأنني بعضُ الملائكةِ التي

لا تغتذى وكأن بيتيَ مسجد

So it's as if I'm one of the angels

Who don't eat, and my house is a mosque

وتكاثُرُ الأطفالِ فاقَ تَجلُّدي

لكنّني كم قَدْرُ ما أتجلَّد

And the children multiplying exceeded my endurance

But how much can I endure?

فكأننا ليكائهم في مأتمٍ

طولَ الزمانِ وما لنا من نفقد

It's as if, mourning them, we're in perpetual bereavement

And have nothing, for all time

وتَعُّذر الجارى أَضَرَّ بحالهم

وأَضرَّبى وهو القليل الأنكد

And the servant's refusal did them harm

And harmed me - he's cold and stingy

هو خمسةٌ عدداً يَصِحُّ ثلاثةً

لكنْ هُمُ عَشْرٌ تَتِمُّ وأزْيَد

They're five, in number three are healthy

But they're ten, complete or more

وتساوىُ العَدَدين عندَك هينٌ

لو شئتَه ما كان أمرا يبعُد

And to you the two sums are simple

If you wished, it would not be remote

فاقْصِدْ مَسَرَّتَهم فتلك غنيمةٌ

فثَناؤها وثوابُها لا يَنْفَذ

So set your mind on making them happy, such spoils

Are thanked and rewarded without end

قد وَجَّهوني قاصِدين وأيقنوا

أنْ سوف يفعلها الأجلُّ محمد

They directed me to you, certain

The most glorious Muhammad would act