أَيا مَلِكَ العَصرِ الَّذي شاعَ فَضلُهُ

أَيا مَلِكَ العَصرِ الَّذي شاعَ فَضلُهُ

وَيا اِبنَ مُلوكِ العُربِ وَالعُجمِ وَالتُركِ

وَيا اِبنَ مُلوكِ العُربِ وَالعُجمِ وَالتُركِ

O king of the age, whose excellence is renowned,

O king of the age, whose excellence has spread,

And O son of the kings of the Arabs, the Persians, and the Turks,

And O son of the kings of Arabs, non-Arabs, and Turks,

وَمَن عَلَّمَتني المَدحَ أَو صافُ مَجدِهِ

وَمَن عَلَّمَتني المَدحَ أَو صافُ مَجدِهِ

فَما زِدتُها عِندَ النِظامِ سِوى السَلكِ

فَما زِدتُها عِندَ النِظامِ سِوى السَلكِ

And you whose glorious qualities taught me praise,

And whoever taught me to praise or described his glory,

So, in stringing them into verse, I added nothing but the thread.

I have not added more to it in the eyes of al-Nizam except sincerity,

لَقَد غَمَرَتني مِن أَياديكَ أَنعُمٌ

لَقَد غَمَرَتني مِن أَياديكَ أَنعُمٌ

مَلَكتَ بِها رِقّي وَإِن أَكثَرَت مُلكي

مَلَكتَ بِها رِقّي وَإِن أَكثَرَت مُلكي

Blessings from your beneficence have truly overwhelmed me;

Indeed, favors from your hands have overwhelmed me,

Through them you have made me your bondsman, though they have increased my wealth.

By which you have controlled my happiness, even if you have increased my kingdom,

أُعَدُّ إِذا فارَقتُ مَغناكَ تاجِراً

أُعَدُّ إِذا فارَقتُ مَغناكَ تاجِراً

فَإِن أُبتُ ظَنّوني شَريكَكَ في المُلكِ

فَإِن أُبتُ ظَنّوني شَريكَكَ في المُلكِ

When I leave your dwelling, I am reckoned a merchant;

I consider myself a merchant when I separate from your riches,

And if I return, they think me your partner in sovereignty.

So if the jealous accuse me of being your partner in the kingdom,

لِذَلِكَ لَم تَثنِ الحُطوبُ مَوَدَّتي

لِذَلِكَ لَم تَثنِ الحُطوبُ مَوَدَّتي

وَلَكِنَّني مِثلُ النُضارِ عَلى السِبكِ

وَلَكِنَّني مِثلُ النُضارِ عَلى السِبكِ

For that reason, calamities have not swayed my affection,

That is why hardships have not changed my affection,

But I am like pure gold when smelted.

But I am like bright steel on the whetstone,

فَإِن يَكُ صَرفُ الدَهرِ قَد حَكَّ جانِبي

فَإِن يَكُ صَرفُ الدَهرِ قَد حَكَّ جانِبي

لِيَخبُرَني وَالتِبرُ يُخبَرُ بِالحَكِّ

لِيَخبُرَني وَالتِبرُ يُخبَرُ بِالحَكِّ

So if time's vicissitudes have rubbed my side

So if the turning of fate has scratched my side,

To test me—and raw gold is tested by rubbing—

It informs me while the whetstone informs of the scratch,

فَقَد زِدتُ مَع وَقعِ الحَوادِثِ رَغبَةً

فَقَد زِدتُ مَع وَقعِ الحَوادِثِ رَغبَةً

كَما زادَ فَرطُ السَحقِ في أَرجِ المِسكِ

كَما زادَ فَرطُ السَحقِ في أَرجِ المِسكِ

Then my longing has grown with the blows of misfortune,

So with the occurrence of events I have increased longing,

As intense grinding increases the fragrance of musk.

Just as increased rubbing increases the fragrance of musk,

فَإِن أَخطَأَتني مِن نَداكَ سَحابَةٌ

فَإِن أَخطَأَتني مِن نَداكَ سَحابَةٌ

فَما غَيَّرَت حُبّي وَلا أَوجَبَت تَركي

فَما غَيَّرَت حُبّي وَلا أَوجَبَت تَركي

So if a cloud of your bounty has passed me by,

And if a cloud has deprived me of your bounty,

It has not changed my love, nor compelled me to leave,

It has neither changed my love nor caused me to abandon you,

لِأَنِّيَ مِن أَهلِ اليَقينِ عَلى الوَفا

لِأَنِّيَ مِن أَهلِ اليَقينِ عَلى الوَفا

وَقَد يَحدُثُ التَغييرُ عِندَ ذَوي الشَكِّ

وَقَد يَحدُثُ التَغييرُ عِندَ ذَوي الشَكِّ

For in loyalty I am among those who are certain,

Because I am of those firmly convicted of loyalty,

And change may occur among those who doubt.

While change may occur with those who doubt.