يا لَيتَ شِعري وَقَد أَودى بِكَ القَدَرُ

يا لَيتَ شِعري وَقَد أَودى بِكَ القَدَرُ

بِأَيِّ عُذرٍ إِلى العَلياءِ يَعتَذِرُ

بِأَيِّ عُذرٍ إِلى العَلياءِ يَعتَذِرُ

Oh, would that I knew, now that fate has claimed you,

Oh how I wish, after fate took you away

what excuse it can offer to glory.

With what excuse will it plead to the Most High?

وَكَيفَ جارَ عَلَيكَ الدَهرُ مُعتَدِياً

وَكَيفَ جارَ عَلَيكَ الدَهرُ مُعتَدِياً

أَما تَعَلَمَّ مِنكَ العَدلَ يا عُمَرُ

أَما تَعَلَمَّ مِنكَ العَدلَ يا عُمَرُ

And how could time wrong you so wantonly?

And how did time oppress you unjustly?

Did it not learn justice from you, O Umar?

Don't you know, O Omar, it should have acted justly?

يا اِبنَ المُلوكِ الأُلى كانَ الزَمانُ لَهُم

يا اِبنَ المُلوكِ الأُلى كانَ الزَمانُ لَهُم

طَوعاً وَأَقبَلَ صَرفُ الدَهرِ يَأتَمِرُ

طَوعاً وَأَقبَلَ صَرفُ الدَهرِ يَأتَمِرُ

O son of the kings to whom time was

O son of sublime kings, time was submissive to them

obedient, and the turns of fortune came to obey their commands.

And the wheel of fate came willingly under their command

يا ناصِرَ الدينِ يا مَن جودُ راحَتِهِ

يا ناصِرَ الدينِ يا مَن جودُ راحَتِهِ

بَينَ الأَنامِ عَلى الأَيّامِ يَنتَصِرُ

بَينَ الأَنامِ عَلى الأَيّامِ يَنتَصِرُ

O Nasir al-Din, O you whose palm's bounty

O supporter of the faith, O you whose generosity

triumphs over time among humankind.

Spread among people, victorious over days

أَنتَ الجَوادُ الَّذي لَولا مَكارِمُهُ

أَنتَ الجَوادُ الَّذي لَولا مَكارِمُهُ

لَأَصبَحَ الجودُ عَيناً ما بِها بَصَرُ

لَأَصبَحَ الجودُ عَيناً ما بِها بَصَرُ

You are the generous one, without whose noble deeds

You are the generous one, without whose nobility

generosity would have become an eye without sight.

Generosity would be blind, with no insight

تُعطي وَتَبسُطُ بَعدَ البَذلِ مَعذَرَةً

تُعطي وَتَبسُطُ بَعدَ البَذلِ مَعذَرَةً

وَعُذرُ غَيرِكَ دونَ البَذلِ يُبتَدَرُ

وَعُذرُ غَيرِكَ دونَ البَذلِ يُبتَدَرُ

You give, and after giving you offer an apology,

You give and extend, after spending, an excuse

while others hasten to offer excuses without giving.

While others' excuse without spending is sought

فُقتَ المُلوكَ جَميعاً في عَطاً وَسَطاً

فُقتَ المُلوكَ جَميعاً في عَطاً وَسَطاً

فَأَنتَ كَالبَحرِ فيهِ النَفعُ وَالضَرَرُ

فَأَنتَ كَالبَحرِ فيهِ النَفعُ وَالضَرَرُ

You surpassed all kings in giving and might,

You surpassed all kings in giving and moderation

so you are like the sea, holding both benefit and harm.

You are like the sea, with benefit and harm

وَحُزتَ أَخلاقَ شَمسِ الدينِ مُكتَسِباً

وَحُزتَ أَخلاقَ شَمسِ الدينِ مُكتَسِباً

وَالشَمسُ مُكتَسِبٌ مِن نورِها القَمَرُ

وَالشَمسُ مُكتَسِبٌ مِن نورِها القَمَرُ

And you acquired the virtues of Shams al-Din,

You took on the morals of the sun of faith

as the moon draws its light from the sun.

And the sun takes its light from the moon

خاطَرتَ في طَلَبِ العَلياءِ مُجتَهِداً

خاطَرتَ في طَلَبِ العَلياءِ مُجتَهِداً

وَما يُخاطِرُ إِلّا مَن لَهُ خَطَرُ

وَما يُخاطِرُ إِلّا مَن لَهُ خَطَرُ

You took risks, striving earnestly in pursuit of glory,

You strove in seeking the Most High, persevering

and none takes risks except one of worth.

And none dares take risks but those with daring

رَفَعتَ ذِكرَكَ بِالإِنعامِ مُنتَجِداً

رَفَعتَ ذِكرَكَ بِالإِنعامِ مُنتَجِداً

بِهِ وَغَيرُكَ بِالأَموالِ يَفتَخِرُ

بِهِ وَغَيرُكَ بِالأَموالِ يَفتَخِرُ

You raised your renown through beneficence, seeking support

You raised your fame through grace, seeking help

through it, while others boast of wealth.

Through it, while others boast of wealth

قَد كانَ جودُكَ لي عَينَ الحَياةِ إِذا

قَد كانَ جودُكَ لي عَينَ الحَياةِ إِذا

وَردَتُهُ وَحَواني رَبعُكَ الخَضِرُ

وَردَتُهُ وَحَواني رَبعُكَ الخَضِرُ

Your bounty was indeed to me the spring of life whenever

Your generosity was the spring of my life

I came to drink from it, and your verdant abode sheltered me.

When I attained it, and your green meadows embraced me

أَعزِز عَلَيَّ بِأَن أَدعوكَ ذا أَمَلٍ

أَعزِز عَلَيَّ بِأَن أَدعوكَ ذا أَمَلٍ

فَلا يُجابَ بِرِفدٍ مِنكَ يَنهَمِرُ

فَلا يُجابَ بِرِفدٍ مِنكَ يَنهَمِرُ

How grievous it is to me that I should call on you in hope,

I disdain to call upon you in hope

and not be answered with a gift pouring forth from you;

Without being answered by a downpour from you

وَأَن يُحَثُّ إِلى مَغناكَ وُفدُ ثَناً

وَأَن يُحَثُّ إِلى مَغناكَ وُفدُ ثَناً

وَليسَ مِنكَ بِهِ عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

وَليسَ مِنكَ بِهِ عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

and that a delegation of praise should be urged toward your abode,

And that throngs flock to your rainclouds

when neither your presence nor a trace of you is there.

While from you comes no eye nor trace

طابَت مَراثيكَ لي بَعدَ المَديحِ وَمَن

طابَت مَراثيكَ لي بَعدَ المَديحِ وَمَن

بَعدَ السُرورِ بَراني الحُزنُ وَالفِكرُ

بَعدَ السُرورِ بَراني الحُزنُ وَالفِكرُ

Laments for you grew sweet to me after praise, and

Your eulogies pleased me after praise, but he

after joy, sorrow and reflection wore me away.

After joy, sorrow and thought afflicted me

كَأَنَّ حُزنَكَ مِن أَسمائِهِ سَقَرٌ

كَأَنَّ حُزنَكَ مِن أَسمائِهِ سَقَرٌ

فَذاكَ في القَلبِ لا يُبقي وَلا يَذَرُ

فَذاكَ في القَلبِ لا يُبقي وَلا يَذَرُ

It is as though Saqar were among the names of grief for you,

As if your grief over names were hell

for in the heart it spares nothing and leaves nothing.

Leaving neither in the heart nor passing it by

سَقى ضَريحَكَ صَوبُ المُزنِ مُنبَجِساً

سَقى ضَريحَكَ صَوبُ المُزنِ مُنبَجِساً

حَتّى يُدَبِّجَ أَقصى تُربِهِ الزَهَرُ

حَتّى يُدَبِّجَ أَقصى تُربِهِ الزَهَرُ

May the clouds' gushing rain water your tomb,

The rainclouds watered your tomb inclining

until blossoms embroider the farthest reaches of its soil.

Until flowers adorn its farthest edge

وَكَيفَ أَسأَلُ صَوبَ المَزنِ رَيَّ ثَرىً

وَكَيفَ أَسأَلُ صَوبَ المَزنِ رَيَّ ثَرىً

حَلَلتَ فيهِ وَفيهِ البَحرُ وَالمَطَرُ

حَلَلتَ فيهِ وَفيهِ البَحرُ وَالمَطَرُ

And how can I ask the clouds' rain to water soil

How can I ask the rainclouds for a shower

where you have come to rest, and where the sea and rain dwell?

When you settled in it, and in it the sea and the rain?