أَلا يا أَبا الحَسَنِ المُستَماحُ

أَلا يا أَبا الحَسَنِ المُستَماحُ

وَمَن في الخُطوبِ هُوَ المُستَجارُ

وَمَن في الخُطوبِ هُوَ المُستَجارُ

Hark, O Abu al-Hasan, whose bounty is sought,

O father of al-Hasan the supplicant

and whose protection is sought in calamities;

And the one to whom the afflicted turn in times of distress

وَيامَن إِلى قَومِهِ الأَكرَمينَ

وَيامَن إِلى قَومِهِ الأَكرَمينَ

يُنمى العَلاءُ وَيُعزى الفِخارُ

يُنمى العَلاءُ وَيُعزى الفِخارُ

and O you to whose most noble kin

O you to whom the noblest of people belong

eminence is traced and glory ascribed.

Nobility grows and the lowly gain honor

لَهُم هِمَمٌ في اِكتِسابِ الثَنا

لَهُم هِمَمٌ في اِكتِسابِ الثَنا

ءِ عالِيَةٌ وَنُفوسٌ كِبارُ

ءِ عالِيَةٌ وَنُفوسٌ كِبارُ

Their aspirations to win praise

They have lofty aspirations to gain glory

are lofty, and their souls are great.

And magnificent souls and principles

يا اِبنَ المُظَفَّرِ يا ما جِداً

يا اِبنَ المُظَفَّرِ يا ما جِداً

أَبى أَن يَذِلَّ لَكَ الدَهرَ جارُ

أَبى أَن يَذِلَّ لَكَ الدَهرَ جارُ

O son of al-Muzaffar, O noble one,

O son of al-Muzaffar indeed

whose protégé has never submitted to humiliation.

Fate refused to humiliate you, ever opposing

أُعيذُ عُلا بَيتِكَ الكِسرَوِيِّ

أُعيذُ عُلا بَيتِكَ الكِسرَوِيِّ

أَن يُستَعادَ إِلَيكَ المُعارُ

أَن يُستَعادَ إِلَيكَ المُعارُ

I would shield the glory of your Khosrow-like house

I seek refuge for your eminent family of Qisrawi

from having what was lent returned to you.

Lest their generosity to you be too demanding

فَلَستَ وَحاشاكَ مِمَّن يُعيرُ

فَلَستَ وَحاشاكَ مِمَّن يُعيرُ

يَوماً وَلا أَنا مِمَّن يُعارُ

يَوماً وَلا أَنا مِمَّن يُعارُ

For you are not—far be it from you—one who lends

You are far above reproaching anyone

ever, nor am I one who borrows.

Nor am I one to find fault

وَلَستَ بِمُستَنكِرٍ أَن تَجودَ

وَلَستَ بِمُستَنكِرٍ أَن تَجودَ

وَلا لَكَ أَن لا تَجودَ اِعتِذارُ

وَلا لَكَ أَن لا تَجودَ اِعتِذارُ

And you do not find it strange to give generously,

You do not hesitate to be generous

nor have you any excuse not to give.

Nor do you need to make excuses not to give

وَأُقسِمُ أَنّي لَفي غَيرَةٍ

وَأُقسِمُ أَنّي لَفي غَيرَةٍ

عَليكَ وَكُلُّ مُحِبٍّ يُغارُ

عَليكَ وَكُلُّ مُحِبٍّ يُغارُ

And I swear I am filled with jealous concern

I swear I am jealous over you

for you—and every lover is jealous.

As is every loving admirer

فَسَقِّ غُروسَ أَبيكَ الَّتي

فَسَقِّ غُروسَ أَبيكَ الَّتي

سَقَتهُنَّ سُحبُ يَدَيهِ الغِزارُ

سَقَتهُنَّ سُحبُ يَدَيهِ الغِزارُ

So water your father's saplings, which

So water the roots your father planted

the rain-laden clouds of his two hands watered.

With his pouring rain of hands

وَليسَ اِنخِداعُكَ عاراً عَليكَ

وَليسَ اِنخِداعُكَ عاراً عَليكَ

وَلَكِنَّ خَيبَةَ راجيكَ عارُ

وَلَكِنَّ خَيبَةَ راجيكَ عارُ

And being deceived is no disgrace to you,

Being misled does not shame you

but the disappointment of one who looks to you is a disgrace.

But to disappoint your hopeful one brings shame

وَلِلشُعَراءِ عَدَتكَ الخُطوبُ

وَلِلشُعَراءِ عَدَتكَ الخُطوبُ

عَلى مالِ كُلِّ كَريمٍ غِوارُ

عَلى مالِ كُلِّ كَريمٍ غِوارُ

And poets—may calamities pass you by—

For poets your calamities are great riches

raid the wealth of every generous man.

From the wealth of every generous but unlucky one

وَها أَنَذا قَد بَعَثتُ الثَناءَ

وَها أَنَذا قَد بَعَثتُ الثَناءَ

مُعارَضَةً وَإِلَيكَ الخِيارُ

مُعارَضَةً وَإِلَيكَ الخِيارُ

And here I am: I have sent praise

So I send you this praise

in exchange, and the choice is yours.

And the choice is now yours