يا أَميراً في مَدحه هام فهمي

يا أَميراً في مَدحه هام فهمي

وَبِأَوصافه تَجمَّل نَظمي

وَبِأَوصافه تَجمَّل نَظمي

O prince, in praising whom my mind is enraptured,

O prince, my mind was enthralled in praising you,

and with whose qualities my verse is adorned:

And my poetry adorned with your attributes.

حسدوني عَلى قبولي وَقربي

حسدوني عَلى قبولي وَقربي

فَوشوا بي لَديك مِن غَير جرم

فَوشوا بي لَديك مِن غَير جرم

They envied me for finding favor and being close to you,

They envied me for my acceptance and nearness,

so they slandered me before you, though I had done no wrong.

So they slandered me to you, though I had done no wrong.

كدت بالظن لِلحَقيقة أُهدَى

كدت بالظن لِلحَقيقة أُهدَى

لَكن الظَن تارة بَعض إثم

لَكن الظَن تارة بَعض إثم

I was almost guided to the truth by conjecture,

I nearly believed the truth in suspicion,

yet conjecture is sometimes a measure of sin.

But suspicion is sometimes partly sin.

علِم اللَه أَن ما قيل زورٌ

علِم اللَه أَن ما قيل زورٌ

مِن أُناس حلا لَهُم أَكلُ لحمي

مِن أُناس حلا لَهُم أَكلُ لحمي

God knows that what was said is falsehood,

God knows what was said was false,

from people who found eating my flesh sweet.

By people who freely ate my flesh.

ما دروا أَنَّهُ لفرط عماهم

ما دروا أَنَّهُ لفرط عماهم

مزجته يَدُ الخضوع بسمّ

مزجته يَدُ الخضوع بسمّ

They did not know, in their utter blindness, that it

They knew not that in their blindness,

had been mixed with poison by the hand of submission.

My hand mixed it with surrender's poison.

وَلَوَ اَنِّي عرفتهم يا أَميري

وَلَوَ اَنِّي عرفتهم يا أَميري

لرميت السَفيه مِنهُم بسهم

لرميت السَفيه مِنهُم بسهم

And had I known them, O my prince,

If I had known them, O my prince,

I would have shot an arrow at the fool among them,

I would have struck the foolish among them with an arrow,

وَاقتفيت الآثار مِنهُم إِلى أَن

وَاقتفيت الآثار مِنهُم إِلى أَن

يَستَقيموا وَيدخلوا تَحتَ حكمي

يَستَقيموا وَيدخلوا تَحتَ حكمي

and followed their tracks until

And tracked them until

they mended their ways and came under my rule.

They walked straight and came under my rule.

كُل هَذا مِنهُم أَنال بضعفي

كُل هَذا مِنهُم أَنال بضعفي

لا بِحَولي وَقوّتي أَو بِعَزمي

لا بِحَولي وَقوّتي أَو بِعَزمي

All this I receive from them through my weakness,

All this from them I gain through my weakness,

not through my might and strength, or through my resolve.

Not through my strength, will or determination.

وَلئن كُنتَ راضياً لا أُبالي

وَلئن كُنتَ راضياً لا أُبالي

بِلئامٍ فاهوا ضَلالاً بذمي

بِلئامٍ فاهوا ضَلالاً بذمي

And if you are pleased, I do not care

If you are pleased, I care not

about vile men who uttered falsehood in reviling me.

For the dispraise of the straying defamer.

وَإِذا ما غضبتَ مِن غَير ذَنب

وَإِذا ما غضبتَ مِن غَير ذَنب

كان مني وَلم تُعامِلْ بحلم

كان مني وَلم تُعامِلْ بحلم

And if you grew angry without any offense

And if you get angry without a crime from me,

committed by me, and did not act with forbearance,

And do not act with restraint,

وَأبحتَ الوشاةَ تنقل عَني

وَأبحتَ الوشاةَ تنقل عَني

ما أَرادوا في كُل أَمر ملم

ما أَرادوا في كُل أَمر ملم

and allowed the slanderers to report about me

And give ear to slanderers relating from me

whatever they wished in every troubling affair,

Whatever they want in every matter,

وَمَديحي قابلتَه بصدود

وَمَديحي قابلتَه بصدود

وَجَفاء عَلى الدَوام وَرجم

وَجَفاء عَلى الدَوام وَرجم

and met my praise with rejection

And answer my praises with rejection

and constant coldness and stone-throwing—

And constant coldness and stoning,

فَعلى العَفو رحمةٌ وَسَلامٌ

فَعلى العَفو رحمةٌ وَسَلامٌ

حَيث أَمسى بحفرة بَعد سقم

حَيث أَمسى بحفرة بَعد سقم

then mercy and peace be upon pardon,

Then forgiveness, mercy and peace

now that it lies in a pit after sickness.

Where the evening found a pit after sickness.

وَإِلى ذاتك الكَريمة يُهدَى

وَإِلى ذاتك الكَريمة يُهدَى

مِن ضروب المَديح أَوفر قسم

مِن ضروب المَديح أَوفر قسم

And to your noble person is offered

And to your generous essence is dedicated

the fullest share of the various kinds of praise,

The most plentiful share of varied praises -

ما تَلا مخلص براءة عَبد

ما تَلا مخلص براءة عَبد

في نَهار أَو عِندَ مَطلع نجم

في نَهار أَو عِندَ مَطلع نجم

as long as a sincere man recites a servant's innocence,

No loyal, exonerated servant

by day or at a star's rising.

Has recited them in daytime or at nightstar's rising.