ألا يا قومُ قد برحَ الخفاءُ

ألا يا قومُ قد برحَ الخفاءُ

وبان الصبرُ منّي والعزاءُ

وبان الصبرُ منّي والعزاءُ

Hark, my people: concealment has fallen away,

Hear now, O people: concealment has indeed ended.

and patience and consolation have deserted me.

And patience and consolation have left me.

تعجبَ صاحبي لضياع مثلي

تعجبَ صاحبي لضياع مثلي

وليس لداء محرومٍ دواء

وليس لداء محرومٍ دواء

My companion marvels that one like me should go to waste,

My companion marveled at the neglect of one like me.

for the affliction of a man deprived of favor has no cure.

And there is no remedy for a deprived man's affliction.

جفاني سيدٌ قد كان بَرّاً

جفاني سيدٌ قد كان بَرّاً

ولم أذنب فما هذا الجفاءُ

ولم أذنب فما هذا الجفاءُ

My lord has shunned me, though once he treated me kindly;

A lord who once was kind has shunned me.

I have committed no offense—why, then, this estrangement?

And I have done no wrong—what is this coldness?

حللت بداره وعلمتُ أنّي

حللت بداره وعلمتُ أنّي

بدارٍ لا يخيبُ بها الرجاءُ

بدارٍ لا يخيبُ بها الرجاءُ

I took up residence at his court, knowing that I

I settled in his house and knew that I was

was in a court where hope is never disappointed.

In a house where hope is never disappointed.

فلمّا شاب رأسي في ذراهُ

فلمّا شاب رأسي في ذراهُ

حجبتُ لعقبِ ما بعدَ اللقاءُ

حجبتُ لعقبِ ما بعدَ اللقاءُ

But when my head grew gray beneath his protection,

Then, when my head grew gray beneath his shelter,

I was barred because of what followed the audience.

I was shut out soon after our meetings grew distant.

فإن تنأ ستور الإذنِ عنّا

فإن تنأ ستور الإذنِ عنّا

فما نأتِ المحبّةٌ والثناءُ

فما نأتِ المحبّةٌ والثناءُ

Though the curtains of admittance recede from us,

If the curtains of admittance draw far away from us,

love and praise have not receded.

Love and praise have not drawn away.

وإن يك كادني ظلماً عدوٌّ

وإن يك كادني ظلماً عدوٌّ

فعند البحث ينكشف الغطاء

فعند البحث ينكشف الغطاء

And though my enemy has plotted unjustly against me,

And if an enemy has unjustly plotted against me,

when the matter is examined, the veil will fall away.

Then, upon inquiry, the covering will be lifted.

ألم ترَ أنّ بالآفاقِ منّا

ألم ترَ أنّ بالآفاقِ منّا

جماجمَ حشوُ أقبرِها الوفاء

جماجمَ حشوُ أقبرِها الوفاء

Have you not seen that, throughout the lands, from among us

Have you not seen that across the horizons lie our

lie skulls whose graves are filled with loyalty?

Skulls, whose graves are filled with loyalty?

وقد وصف الزمان لنا زيادٌ

وقد وصف الزمان لنا زيادٌ

وقال مقالةً فيها شفاء

وقال مقالةً فيها شفاء

Ziyad has described Time to us,

And Ziyad has described the times to us,

and spoken a saying in which there is healing:

And spoken a saying in which there is healing:

ألا يا رُبَّ مغمومٍ سيحظى

ألا يا رُبَّ مغمومٍ سيحظى

بدولتنا ومسرورٍ يساءُ

بدولتنا ومسرورٍ يساءُ

Ah, many a prize will be won

"Lo, many a sorrowful man will find favor

when fortune turns to us, while many a glad man will be grieved.

Under our rule, while many a joyful man will be saddened."

أمنتصرَ الخلائفِ جدت فينا

أمنتصرَ الخلائفِ جدت فينا

كما جادت على الأرض السماء

كما جادت على الأرض السماء

O champion of the caliphs, you have poured bounty upon us

O Muntasir of the caliphs, you have been generous to us,

as the sky pours bounty upon the earth.

As the sky has been generous to the earth.

وسعتَ الناسَ عدلاً فاستقاموا

وسعتَ الناسَ عدلاً فاستقاموا

بأحكامٍ عليهنّ الضياءُ

بأحكامٍ عليهنّ الضياءُ

Your twofold justice embraced the people, and they stood upright

You embraced the people with justice, so they became upright

through judgments radiant with light.

Through rulings radiant with light.

وليس يفوتنا ما عشتَ خيرٌ

وليس يفوتنا ما عشتَ خيرٌ

كفانا أن يطول لك البقاءُ

كفانا أن يطول لك البقاءُ

So long as you live, no good shall pass us by;

And no good will elude us as long as you live.

it is enough for us that your life endure.

It is enough for us that your life be long.