مَرِضfell ill الجودُgenerosity والْتوَىand writhed الإكرامُmunificence
مَرِض الجودُ والْتوَى الإكرامُ
وشكَاand complained ماwhat شكوتَهyou complained of it الإسلامُIslam
وشكَا ما شكوتَه الإسلامُ
Generosity fell ill, and munificence writhed;
Generosity and nobility fell ill,
and Islam complained of what you complained of.
And Islam complained of what afflicted it.
وَغَداand became لاْعتِلالكَbecause of your illness العِزُّmight والمَجْand glory (first fragment)
وَغَدا لاْعتِلالكَ العِزُّ والمَجْ
دglory (final fragment) عَلِيلَيْنboth ailing واحتذىand followed suit الإعظامُreverence
د عَلِيلَيْن واحتذى الإعظامُ
And because you fell ill, might and glory
Glory and grandeur languished because of your illness,
grew sick, and reverence followed suit.
And reverence grew frail.
عجباًhow wondrous! كيفhow يَشْتَكيfalls ill مَنone who فَداهُransomed him الدْTime (first fragment)
عجباً كيف يَشْتَكي مَن فَداهُ الدْ
دهْرُTime (final fragment) واستَعصَمتْand sought refuge بهin him الأيّامthe days
دهْرُ واستَعصَمتْ به الأيّام
How wondrous! How can he fall ill whom Time
How strange that one who saved lifetimes should complain!
has ransomed, and in whom the days sought refuge?
Days took refuge in him and defiant fates obeyed him,
وأطاعتْهand obeyed him عاصياتُrebellious الرّزاياcalamities
وأطاعتْه عاصياتُ الرّزايا
وصِعابُand the difficulties الأُمورِof affairs حتّىeven الحمامُdeath
وصِعابُ الأُمورِ حتّى الحمامُ
And rebellious calamities obeyed him,
Even obstinate circumstances, to the extent of doves.
and difficult affairs—even death itself.
A king in whom the essence of light and sanctity resides,
مَلِكٌa king فيهin him جَوهرُthe essence النورِof light والقُدْand holiness (first fragment)
مَلِكٌ فيه جَوهرُ النورِ والقُدْ
سِholiness (final fragment) وإنand even though ظَلَّcontinued تدّعيهclaims him الأنامhumankind
سِ وإن ظَلَّ تدّعيه الأنام
A king within whom is the essence of light and holiness,
Though people claim him.
though humankind still claims him as its own.
How can a hand that rains generosity tire of giving?
كيفhow تَضنَىgrows weak يَدٌa hand بِهاthrough it يُمطرrains down الجوgenerosity (first fragment)
كيف تَضنَى يَدٌ بِها يُمطر الجو
دgenerosity (final fragment) وكفّand a palm بهاwith it يَصولُstrikes fiercely الحُسامُthe keen sword
د وكفّ بها يَصولُ الحُسامُ
How can a hand grow weak through which generosity rains,
How can a sword that wreaks havoc sheathe itself?
and a palm with which the keen sword strikes,
A brow that illuminates the stars of good fortune over us,
وجبينٌand a brow بهby it تُنِيرshine نُجومstars السْgood fortune (first fragment)
وجبينٌ به تُنِير نُجوم السْ
سَعدِgood fortune (final fragment) فيناamong us ويَستضِيءand is illuminated الظَّلامthe darkness
سَعدِ فينا ويَستضِيء الظَّلام
and a brow by which the stars of good fortune shine
And by which darkness becomes illuminated.
among us and darkness is lit?
How can the prime of one for whom, without it,
كيفhow تصفرّturns pale غُرّةٌa radiant brow لكof yours لولاwere it not for
كيف تصفرّ غُرّةٌ لك لولا
هاit (your brow) لَمَاwould not كانhave been للزّمانfor Time ابتِسامa smile
ها لَمَا كان للزّمان ابتِسام
How can your radiant brow turn pale, when without it
There would be no smiles in this age turn sallow?
Time would have no smile?
Lifetime! You are the son of Ma’add!
إنّماonly الدهرTime أنتyou ياO بنson of مَعَدٍّMaʿadd
إنّما الدهر أنت يا بن مَعَدٍّ
فعلىso upon الدهرTime إنif سَقِمتَyou fall ill السَّلامfarewell
فعلى الدهر إن سَقِمتَ السَّلام
You alone are Time, O son of Maʿadd;
So greet lifetime if you fall ill!
so farewell to Time if you fall ill.
May God not let me see you in distress,
لاmay not أرانيshow me الإلهGod فيكَconcerning you مُهِمّاًa distressing matter
لا أراني الإله فيكَ مُهِمّاً
لاno ولاand may not عَرَّجتْalight بكupon you الآلامpains
لا ولا عَرَّجتْ بك الآلام
May God never show me any distress concerning you;
Nor afflictions make you stumble!
no, nor may pains ever alight upon you.
O Imam of guidance, by whose hands
ياO إمامَImam الهُدَىof guidance الّذيwho بِيَدَيْهِby his two hands
يا إمامَ الهُدَى الّذي بِيَدَيْهِ
حُسِمَwas cut off الكُفْرُunbelief وانجلىand vanished الإعدْامdestitution
حُسِمَ الكُفْرُ وانجلى الإعدْام
O Imam of guidance, by whose two hands
Disbelief was vanquished and darkness dispelled!
unbelief was cut off and destitution dispelled,
Would that I and the generous could ransom him fully,
ليتنيwould that I والكرامand the noble نَفْدِيهwe ransom him طرّاًall together
ليتني والكرام نَفْدِيه طرّاً
وقليلٌand little لهfor him أناI والكِرامand the noble
وقليلٌ له أنا والكِرام
would that I and the noble might all ransom him;
But I and the generous are paltry for him.
yet I and the noble are too little for him.
How can a king for whom God is protector
كيفhow يَضْنَىgrows ill مَلْكٌa king لهfor him اللهGod جارٌa protector
كيف يَضْنَى مَلْكٌ له الله جارٌ
ومُجِيرٌand a giver of refuge مّماfrom what يريدintends السَّقامsickness
ومُجِيرٌ مّما يريد السَّقام
How can a king grow ill when God is his protector
From all that ails grow frail?
and shelters him from what sickness intends?
Distress only came to test you,
إنماonly زاركvisited you التشكّيaffliction طَلُوباًeagerly seeking
إنما زارك التشكّي طَلُوباً
منكَfrom you سَلْماًpeace كَيْلاَlest بِخَسفٍto abasement يُسامُit be subjected
منكَ سَلْماً كَيْلاَ بِخَسفٍ يُسامُ
Affliction visited you only, eagerly seeking
Seeking your wellbeing, that it might withdraw cured.
peace from you, lest it be subjected to abasement.
It quickly lost all hold over you,
ماnot (rhetorical question) تراهyou see it استقلّdeparted عنكَfrom you سريعاًswiftly
ما تراه استقلّ عنكَ سريعاً
وبهand upon it عنكbecause of you ذِلّةhumiliation وانهِزَامand defeat
وبه عنك ذِلّة وانهِزَام
Do you not see how swiftly it departed from you,
And it retreated from you in disgrace and defeat.
bearing humiliation and defeat at your hands?
Trust that God will preserve you until
ثِقْtrust بأنّthat الإلهGod يُبْقِيكkeeps you alive حتىuntil
ثِقْ بأنّ الإله يُبْقِيك حتى
تَملكِyou rule الأرضthe earth قادِراًpowerful لاnot تُرامyou are assailed
تَملكِ الأرض قادِراً لا تُرام
Trust that God will keep you alive until
You rule the land, prevailing, not opposed.
you rule the earth, powerful and unassailable,
And you live the lifetime that totals ninety
وتعِيشand you live العمرَthe lifespan الّذيwhich هوit تسعوninety (first fragment)
وتعِيش العمرَ الّذي هو تسعو
نninety (final fragment) وعشرand ten مُسَلَّماًkept safe لاnot تُضامyou are wronged
ن وعشر مُسَلَّماً لا تُضام
and live out a span of ninety
And ten, secured, not infringed upon.
and ten years, kept safe and never wronged.
Thus came the prophecy of old,
فبِذاfor thus جاءتِcame الرّوايةthe tradition قِدْماًlong ago
فبِذا جاءتِ الرّواية قِدْماً
وبهذاand thus جرتْran لكfor you الأقلامthe pens
وبهذا جرتْ لك الأقلام
For this is what the tradition brought long ago,
And so the pens wrote of you.
and this is what the pens have written for you.
incumbent upon us for God, for you, are
فعليناso upon us للهto God فيكon your account صلاةٌprayer
فعلينا لله فيك صلاةٌ
وزكاةٌand alms زكيّةٌpure وصِيامُand fasting
وزكاةٌ زكيّةٌ وصِيامُ
Thus, on your account, we owe God prayer,
prayer, purifying alms, and fasting,
and pure alms and fasting,
When you recovered the caliphate and kingdom,
حينwhen عُوفيتَyou were healed للخلافةfor the caliphate والمُلْand sovereignty (first fragment)
حين عُوفيتَ للخلافة والمُلْ
كِsovereignty (final fragment) وصحّتand became sound بكthrough you الأُمورُthe affairs الجِسامmomentous
كِ وصحّت بك الأُمورُ الجِسام
when you were healed for the caliphate and sovereignty,
And through you, grave affairs were corrected.
and through you momentous affairs were set right.
My heart drank the pure draught of your affection
شَرِبَتْdrank مُهجتيmy soul وِدادَكyour love صِرفاًunmixed
شَرِبَتْ مُهجتي وِدادَك صِرفاً
شُرْبَthe drinking of منone who لاnot يَثْنِيهturns him away عنكfrom you ملاَمreproach
شُرْبَ من لا يَثْنِيه عنك ملاَم
My soul drank your love unmixed,
Drunk by one no blamer can deter from you.
drinking as one whom no reproach can turn from you.
I hope that through you I may hold the reins
فعسىso may أنthat يكونthere be ليfor me بكthrough you فيماin what
فعسى أن يكون لي بك فيما
أقتضيهI demand it علىfrom الزمانTime ذِمامa pledge of protection
أقتضيه على الزمان ذِمام
So may I, through you, find a safeguard for what
over the age, however it kicks.
I demand of Time.
You are my request which I present, and is there,
أنتyou سُؤْليmy wish الذيwhich اقترحتُI requested وهلand is there? بعafter (first fragment)
أنت سُؤْلي الذي اقترحتُ وهل بع
دَكَafter you (final fragment) ليfor me فيin الْبَرِيَّةcreation استعصامseeking refuge
دَكَ لي في الْبَرِيَّة استعصام
You are the wish I asked for; and after you,
after you, any taking refuge in the wilderness for me?
is there any refuge for me in creation?
So remain exalted in your kingdom, fortified by you,
فابقَso remain مستعلِياًsupreme لمُلْكِكfor your kingdom مشتدْgrowing firm (first fragment)
فابقَ مستعلِياً لمُلْكِك مشتدْ
داًgrowing firm (final fragment) بكthrough you النقَّضُundoing فيهwithin it والإبرامand binding
داً بك النقَّضُ فيه والإبرام
So remain supreme in your kingdom,
demolition in it and consolidation.
its undoing and binding strengthened through you.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1