أَلا أَبلِغ عِمادَ الدينِ عَنّي

أَلا أَبلِغ عِمادَ الدينِ عَنّي

وَقَبِّل عِندَ رُؤيَتِهِ التُرابا

وَقَبِّل عِندَ رُؤيَتِهِ التُرابا

Hear now: convey my message to Imad al-Din,

Deliver from me to Imād al-Dīn

And kiss the dust when you see him.

And kiss the ground when you see him

وَصِف شَوقي وَأَهدِ لَهُ سَلامي

وَصِف شَوقي وَأَهدِ لَهُ سَلامي

وَأَحسِن في الدُعاءِ لَهُ المَثابا

وَأَحسِن في الدُعاءِ لَهُ المَثابا

And describe my longing and offer him my greetings,

Describe my longing, and convey my greetings

And pray that he receive a good reward.

And pray well for him as reward

وَقُل يا خَيرَ أَهلِ الأَرضِ نَفساً

وَقُل يا خَيرَ أَهلِ الأَرضِ نَفساً

وَآباءً وَأَرحَبَهُم رَحابا

وَآباءً وَأَرحَبَهُم رَحابا

And say: O best of earth's people in soul

Say: O best of people in spirit

And ancestry, with the broadest courtyards of all:

And forefathers, and most generous in breadth

بَعَثتُ أَبا الفُتوحِ إِلَيكَ فَاِجلِس

بَعَثتُ أَبا الفُتوحِ إِلَيكَ فَاِجلِس

لَهُ وَاِرفَع لِمَقدَمِهِ الحِجابا

لَهُ وَاِرفَع لِمَقدَمِهِ الحِجابا

I have sent Abu al-Futuh to you; sit

I have sent Abu al-Futuh to you, so sit

To receive him, and lift the curtain at his arrival.

With him, and raise the veil for his arrival

وَزِدهُ مِنكَ إِكراماً وَقُرباً

وَزِدهُ مِنكَ إِكراماً وَقُرباً

وَأورِدهُ خَلائِقَكَ العِذابا

وَأورِدهُ خَلائِقَكَ العِذابا

And bestow on him more honor and closeness to you,

Increase your hospitality and nearness to him

And let him drink of your sweet virtues.

And make him drink from your sweet springs

وَراعِ حُقوقَ مُرسِلِهِ قَديماً

وَراعِ حُقوقَ مُرسِلِهِ قَديماً

وَعَجِّل مَااِستَطَعتَ لَهُ الإِيابا

وَعَجِّل مَااِستَطَعتَ لَهُ الإِيابا

And honor his sender's long-standing rights,

And respect the rights of his sender long ago

And hasten his return as much as you can.

And hasten what you can bring back to him

فَقَد وافاكَ مِن بَلَدٍ بَعيدٍ

فَقَد وافاكَ مِن بَلَدٍ بَعيدٍ

وَقَد أَنضى الرَواحِلَ وَالرِكابا

وَقَد أَنضى الرَواحِلَ وَالرِكابا

For he has come to you from a distant land,

For he has come to you from a distant land

And has worn out the riding camels and mounts.

After the riding animals and mounts grew weary

فَإِنّي قَد بَعَثتُ بِهِ رَسولاً

فَإِنّي قَد بَعَثتُ بِهِ رَسولاً

إِلَيكَ وَقَد خَتَمتُ لَهُ الكِتابا

إِلَيكَ وَقَد خَتَمتُ لَهُ الكِتابا

For I have sent him as a messenger

I have sent him to you as a messenger

To you, and have sealed the letter for him.

And sealed for him the letter

وَقَد وَكَّلتُهُ وَشَرَطتُ أَن لا

وَقَد وَكَّلتُهُ وَشَرَطتُ أَن لا

يُفارِقَ ساعَةً لِلحُكمِ بابا

يُفارِقَ ساعَةً لِلحُكمِ بابا

And I have appointed him my agent, and stipulated that he not

I have entrusted him on condition that he

Leave the door of justice for even an hour,

Does not leave the court's door for an hour

وَتَأخُذ مِن كَمالِ الدينِ عَهداً

وَتَأخُذ مِن كَمالِ الدينِ عَهداً

بِأَنَّكَ في الحُكومَةِ لا تُحابى

بِأَنَّكَ في الحُكومَةِ لا تُحابى

And that you obtain a pledge from Kamal al-Din

And take a pledge from Kamāl al-Dīn

That you be shown no favoritism in the judgment,

That you will not favor in governance

إِلى أَن يَستَقِصَّ جَميعَ دَيني

إِلى أَن يَستَقِصَّ جَميعَ دَيني

وَيَستَوفيهِ عَيناً أَو ثِياباً

وَيَستَوفيهِ عَيناً أَو ثِياباً

Until he recovers all that is owed me,

Until he recovers all my debt

And collects it in cash or garments.

And receives it in full, to the last thread

وَها أَنا قَد ضَمَمتُ عَلى رَجاءٍ

وَها أَنا قَد ضَمَمتُ عَلى رَجاءٍ

يَدي وَجَلَستُ أَرتَقِبُ الجَوابا

يَدي وَجَلَستُ أَرتَقِبُ الجَوابا

And here I am: around a hope I have closed

Sitting, awaiting the answer

My hand, and sat awaiting the reply,

To see the outcome of my affair

لِأَنظُرَ ما يَكونُ مآلَ أَمري

لِأَنظُرَ ما يَكونُ مآلَ أَمري

أَأَخطَأَ فيهِ ظَنّي أَم أَصابا

أَأَخطَأَ فيهِ ظَنّي أَم أَصابا

To see what the outcome of my affair will be:

Whether my thinking misses or hits the mark

Has my expectation of it proved wrong or right?

Either I will include in my poetry for you

فَإِمّا أَن أُضَمِّنَ فيكَ شعري

فَإِمّا أَن أُضَمِّنَ فيكَ شعري

ثَناءً أَو أُضَمِّنَهُ عِتابا

ثَناءً أَو أُضَمِّنَهُ عِتابا

So I shall either fill my verse about you

Praise or blame

With praise, or fill it with reproach.