يا عَضُدَ الدينِ أَنتَ مُعتَمَدي

يا عَضُدَ الدينِ أَنتَ مُعتَمَدي

سَمِعتُ شَيئاً قَد فَت في عَضُدي

سَمِعتُ شَيئاً قَد فَت في عَضُدي

O ʿAḍud al-Dīn—Pillar of the Faith—you are my mainstay.

O ʿAdud al-Din, you are my mainstay.

I have heard something that has sapped my strength:

I heard something that has sapped my arm's strength:

سَمِعتُ أَنَّ اللُصوصَ قَد دَخَلوا

سَمِعتُ أَنَّ اللُصوصَ قَد دَخَلوا

داري فَعاثوا فيما حَوَتهُ يَدي

داري فَعاثوا فيما حَوَتهُ يَدي

I heard that thieves had entered

I heard that thieves had entered

my house and ravaged all that my hand possessed.

my house and ravaged what my hand possessed.

وَفَرَّغوا عَيبَتي فَما تَرَكوا

وَفَرَّغوا عَيبَتي فَما تَرَكوا

شَيئاً أُواري بِلُبسِهِ جَسَدي

شَيئاً أُواري بِلُبسِهِ جَسَدي

They emptied my clothes chest, leaving

And they emptied my trunk, leaving not

nothing I could wear to cover my body.

a thing I could wear to cover my body.

وَقَد تَعَجَّبتُ كَيفَ يَقصِدُني

وَقَد تَعَجَّبتُ كَيفَ يَقصِدُني

دَهري لِسوءٍ وَأَنتَ بِالرَصَدِ

دَهري لِسوءٍ وَأَنتَ بِالرَصَدِ

And I wondered how my Time could single me out

And I have wondered how I can be targeted

for harm while you stood watch.

by my fate for harm, while you stand watch.

فَاِسمَع حَديثي فَإِنَّهُ حَدَثٌ

فَاِسمَع حَديثي فَإِنَّهُ حَدَثٌ

لَم يَجرِ يَوماً قَبلي عَلى أَحَدِ

لَم يَجرِ يَوماً قَبلي عَلى أَحَدِ

Then hear my tale, for it is an occurrence

So hear my tale, for this is an occurrence

that never befell anyone before me.

that never once befell anyone before me.

أَسلَمُ في جانِبِ الفُراةِ مَعَ البَدوِ

أَسلَمُ في جانِبِ الفُراةِ مَعَ البَدوِ

وَأُسبى في حَقَّةِ البَلَدِ

وَأُسبى في حَقَّةِ البَلَدِ

I remain unharmed beside the Euphrates, among the Bedouin,

I am safe on the Euphrates' bank among the Bedouin,

yet am despoiled in the very heart of town.

yet am taken captive in the heart of town.

وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ قَد كُنتُ أَحسِبُهُ

وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ قَد كُنتُ أَحسِبُهُ

أَخذُ ثِيابي ما دارَ في خَلَدي

أَخذُ ثِيابي ما دارَ في خَلَدي

I had reckoned that anything might happen,

And I had considered every possibility;

but the taking of my clothes never crossed my mind.

the theft of my clothes never crossed my mind.

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لا شَريكَ لَهُ

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لا شَريكَ لَهُ

ما تَنتَهي حِرفَتي إِلى أَمَدِ

ما تَنتَهي حِرفَتي إِلى أَمَدِ

So praise be to God, who has no partner:

So praise be to God, who has no partner:

my ill fortune never comes to an end.

my ill fortune never comes to an end.

فَاِنهَض إِلى نُصرَتي فَأَنتَ فَتىً

فَاِنهَض إِلى نُصرَتي فَأَنتَ فَتىً

ما باتَ جارٌ لَهُ بِمُضطَهَدِ

ما باتَ جارٌ لَهُ بِمُضطَهَدِ

Rise, then, to my aid—for you are a noble man

So rise to my aid, for you are a gallant man

whose protégé never spends the night oppressed.

whose neighbor never spent a night oppressed.

وَاِطلُب ثِيابي فَإِنَّها تِرَةٌ

وَاِطلُب ثِيابي فَإِنَّها تِرَةٌ

أَرجِعُ فيها عَلَيكَ بِالقَوَدِ

أَرجِعُ فيها عَلَيكَ بِالقَوَدِ

Demand back my clothes, for they constitute an unredressed wrong;

And seek my clothes, for their loss is a wrong to be avenged,

I turn to you to exact due requital for them.

for which I demand blood-retribution from you.