عَلى باب سُلطان السلاطين سائلٌ

عَلى باب سُلطان السلاطين سائلٌ

مِن الإنس بَينَ الجن يرجو نَوالَهُ

مِن الإنس بَينَ الجن يرجو نَوالَهُ

At the gate of the sultan of sultans stands a petitioner,

A beggar stands at the door of the Sultan of Sultans,

A human among the jinn, hoping for his bounty.

A human among jinn, hoping for his grace.

وَيَشكو إِلى عَلياه شدّة

وَيَشكو إِلى عَلياه شدّة

وَحاشاه حاشاه يردّ سؤالَهُ

وَحاشاه حاشاه يردّ سؤالَهُ

And he complains of hardship to his highness,

He complains of hardship to the Exalted One.

And far be it from him—far be it from him—to refuse his plea.

Far be it! Far be it that his plea be denied!

فَما الغيث إِلّا قَطرة مِن سَخائه

فَما الغيث إِلّا قَطرة مِن سَخائه

وَفي عَصره أَضحى العفاة عيالَهُ

وَفي عَصره أَضحى العفاة عيالَهُ

For rain is but a drop of his generosity,

The rain is but a droplet of His generosity,

And in his time, seekers of bounty have become his dependents.

In His era, even the destitute became His children.

وَما اللَيث في الهَيجاء إِلا فَريسة

وَما اللَيث في الهَيجاء إِلا فَريسة

لَهُ إِن دَنا مِنهُ وَرام نزاله

لَهُ إِن دَنا مِنهُ وَرام نزاله

And the lion in battle is nothing but prey

The lion in the thicket is but prey

For him, if it approaches him and seeks combat with him.

For Him, if it dares approach and seeks a fight.

أَيا ملك الأَملاك إِن

أَيا ملك الأَملاك إِن

بِساحتك الفَيحاء حَطَ رِحاله

بِساحتك الفَيحاء حَطَ رِحاله

O king of kings, if

O King of Kings,

In your spacious courtyard he has set down his baggage,

He has come to Your vast court and pitched his tents,

وَناداك دكرائيل في العسر واثِقاً

وَناداك دكرائيل في العسر واثِقاً

بِيسر بِلا سؤل يَحل عقاله

بِيسر بِلا سؤل يَحل عقاله

And Dikra’il has called to you in hardship, confident

Calling on You, Dhikra'il, in difficulty, trusting

Of relief that will, unasked, loosen his tether,

In ease without asking, to free his mind.

فَباللَه إِلا ما قبلت رَجاءه

فَباللَه إِلا ما قبلت رَجاءه

وَبِالسدّة العَليا وَصلت حباله

وَبِالسدّة العَليا وَصلت حباله

Then, by God, do accept his plea,

By Allah, accept his hope!

And fasten his cords to the exalted threshold,

By the Highest Council, join his ties!

وَخلصته مِن كَيد أَبناء جنسه

وَخلصته مِن كَيد أَبناء جنسه

وَمِن غَدر دَهر جائر ما صَفا لَه

وَمِن غَدر دَهر جائر ما صَفا لَه

And free him from the plots of his own kind,

Save him from the schemes of his fellow men

And from the treachery of unjust time, which has not favored him.

And from time's treachery that did not favor him.

وَها هُوَ بَعد اللَه فوّض أَمره

وَها هُوَ بَعد اللَه فوّض أَمره

إِليك وَأَبدى في التَضرع حاله

إِليك وَأَبدى في التَضرع حاله

And behold, after God, he has entrusted his affairs

To You and shows in pleading his state.

To you, and revealed his plight in supplication.

Take his hand now that he has made

فَخُذ بيديه حَيث أَصبَح جاعِلاً

فَخُذ بيديه حَيث أَصبَح جاعِلاً

عَلَيكَ بِحُسن الظَن فيكَ اِتكاله

عَلَيكَ بِحُسن الظَن فيكَ اِتكاله

So take him by both hands, for he has come to place

You, trusting in Your goodness, his reliance.

His reliance upon you, thinking well of you.

Meet my praise of You with pleasure

وَقابل ثَنا مَجدي عَلَيك مِن الرضا

وَقابل ثَنا مَجدي عَلَيك مِن الرضا

بِلمحة إِقبال تزيل اِنفِصاله

بِلمحة إِقبال تزيل اِنفِصاله

And respond approvingly to Majdi’s praise of you,

With a glance of favor that removes estrangement.

With a glance of welcome that ends his estrangement.

Preserve his face from the disgrace of servitude,

وَصُن وَجهه بِالعز عَن ذل خدمة

وَصُن وَجهه بِالعز عَن ذل خدمة

بِها المدَّعي ذُو النَقص نال كَماله

بِها المدَّعي ذُو النَقص نال كَماله

And guard his face with honor from the humiliation of service

Through which the deficient claimant attained perfection.

Through which the pretender, deficient as he was, attained his perfection.