1. صفا لك شِربُ العيشِ غيرَ مُثَرَّبِ

    ولا زلتَ تسمو بين بدرٍ وكوكَبِ

    May life's draught be clear for you, free of reproach,

    And may you ever rise between full moon and star.

  2. تُدبّرُ أمرَ المُلكِ غيرَ مُعنَّفٍ

    وتُؤثرُ أمرَ اللَّهِ غيرَ مؤنَّبِ

    You govern the affairs of kingship, unrebuked,

    And put God's command first, unblamed.

  3. وتَجبي إلى السلطان أوفى خَراجِهِ

    وتكسبُ حمدَ الناسِ من خيرِ مكسَبِ

    You collect for the sovereign his revenues in fullest measure,

    And earn the people's praise by the worthiest means.

  4. أحين أَسرتُ الدهرَ بعد عُتوّهِ

    وفلَّلتُ منه كلَّ نابٍ ومخلبِ

    Is it when I have made Time captive after its defiance,

    And blunted its every fang and claw,

  5. فأصبحتُ مَكفيّاً همُومي مُزايلاً

    غمومي مُوقّىً كُلَّ سوءٍ ومَعطبِ

    And become relieved of my cares, rid of

    My sorrows, guarded from every evil and peril,

  6. ولم يبقَ لي إلا تمنِّي بقائِهِ

    على الدهرِ ما أرستْ قواعدُ كبكبِ

    And nothing remains for me but to wish him lasting life,

    Through all time, while Kabkab's foundations stand firm,

  7. تهضّمُني أنثى وتَغصِبُ جَهرةً

    عَقارى وفي هاتيك أعجبُ مَعْجبِ

    That a woman oppresses me and openly usurps

    My property? In that lies the strangest wonder.

  8. لقد أَذكرتْني لامرىءِ القيس قولَه

    فإنك لم يَغْلبك مثلُ مُغلَّبِ

    She has indeed reminded me of a saying of Imru' al-Qays:

    'For none defeats you like one repeatedly defeated.'

  9. وما قَهْرُ أنثى قِرنَ جِدٍّ ولم تكن

    لتقهر إلا قِرنَ هزل وملعبِ

    How could a woman conquer a foe in earnest, when she was never

    To conquer any but a foe in jest and play?

  10. عرفنا لها غَصْبَ الغَرير حُقوقَهُ

    فما غضبُها حقَّ الحكيم المُدرّبِ

    We have known her to rob the unsuspecting man of his rights;

    Then what of her anger against the seasoned sage's right?

  11. لها كلُّ سلطانٍ على قلبِ أمردٍ

    ولم تعطُ سلطاناً على قلب أشيبِ

    She has complete power over a beardless youth's heart,

    But was given no power over a gray-haired man's heart.

  12. إليكم شكاتي آل وهب ولم تكن

    لتَصمِدَ إلا للوزير المهذَّبِ

    To you, House of Wahb, goes my complaint; it would not

    Be directed to any but the refined minister.

  13. لعمري لقد أَعتطيتُمُ العدل حقَّهُ

    فلا يتجاوزْهُ ولا يتعتّبِ

    By my life, you have indeed given justice its due,

    So let it neither overstep that due nor complain.

  14. له أن يَذُبَّ الليثَ عن ظلم ثعلبٍ

    وليس له إذلالُ ليثٍ لثعلبِ

    It may restrain the lion from wronging a fox,

    But it may not abase a lion for a fox.

  15. أجِرْني وزيرَ الدين والملك إنني

    إليك بحقي هاربٌ كلّ مَهْربِ

    Protect me, minister of faith and kingship, for I

    Flee to you with my right, by every path of escape.

  16. توثّبَ خصمٌ واهنُ الركن والقُوى

    على أيِّدِ الأركان لم يتَوثّبِ

    An adversary weak in support and strength has pounced

    Upon one with mighty supports, who had made no assault.

  17. هو النُّكرُ من وجهين غَصبٌ وبدعةٌ

    وفي النكر من وجهين موضعُ مَعْتبِ

    It is an outrage on two counts: usurpation and an unheard-of act,

    And an outrage on two counts gives grounds for reproach.

  18. وكم غَضبتْ للحقّ منك سجيةٌ

    تؤدّب بالتنكير من لم يُؤدَّبِ

    And how often has your nature raged on behalf of right,

    Disciplining through stern censure those never disciplined.

  19. فلا تسلمَنّي للأعادي وقولهم

    ألا من رأى صقراً فريسةَ أرنبِ

    So do not surrender me to my enemies and their taunt:

    'Look! Who has seen a falcon as a rabbit's prey?'

  20. أريد ارتجاعَ الدار لي كيف خَيَّلتْ

    بِحُكمٍ مُمِرٍّ أو بلطفٍ مُسبَّبِ

    I want the house restored to me, however it can be done,

    By a firm ruling or well-devised tact.

  21. وإن انتزاعَ الحقّ من كفّ غاصبٍ

    وقد نَشَبتْ أظفارُهُ كلَّ مَنْشبِ

    Indeed, wresting a right from a usurper's hand,

    Once his claws have dug in at every point,

  22. لَخُطَّةُ فَصلٍ من سديدٍ قضاؤُهُ

    وخُطَّةُ فضلٍ من كريمِ المُرَكَّبِ

    Is an act of justice by one whose judgment is sound,

    And an act of generosity by one noble in his nature.

  23. وإن انتظامَ الفصلِ والفضلِ في يدٍ

    لشيءٌ إلى السادات جِدُّ مُحبَّبِ

    For justice and generosity to unite in one hand

    Is something greatly cherished by noble lords.

  24. فرأيك في تيسير أمري بعَزْمةٍ

    كوقعةِ مسنونِ الغرارين مِقْضَبِ

    So apply your judgment to easing my affair with a resolve

    Like the stroke of a cutting sword sharpened on both edges.

  25. وتاللَّه لا أرضى بردّ ظُلامتي

    إلى أن أرى لي ألفَ عبدٍ ومركَبِ

    And by God, I will not be content with redress of my wrong

    Until I see a thousand slaves and mounts as my own.

  26. وقد ساءني أَنِّي مُحبٌّ مُقرَّبٌ

    وأَنْ ليس لي إذنُ المحبّ المقرَّبِ

    It has distressed me that I am devoted and favored,

    Yet lack the admission granted a devoted, favored friend.

  27. فماليَ في قلبِ الوزير مُرتَّباً

    وفي داره حيرانَ غيرَ مرتّبِ

    Why am I given a place in the minister's heart,

    Yet bewildered in his house, with no appointed place?

  28. ولا بد لي من رتبةٍ تُرغمُ العدا

    وتسهيل إذنٍ بين أهل ومَرْحبِ

    I must have a rank that humbles my enemies,

    And easy admission amid warm words of welcome.

  29. ولو لم أؤملْ منك ذاك وضِعْفهُ

    ذهبتُ من التأميل في غير مذهَبِ

    Were I not to hope for that and twice as much from you,

    My hopes would have strayed down the wrong path.

  30. فلا ينكرنّ المنكرون تسحّبي

    فلولا الجَنابُ السّهلُ لم أتسحَّبِ

    So let the critics not condemn my taking liberties,

    For were your court not welcoming, I would not presume.

  31. أتيتُكَ لم أقصِدْ إلى غير مَقصِدٍ

    بأمري ولم أرغبْ إلى غير مَرغَبِ

    I came to you, choosing no ill-suited destination

    With my affair, nor seeking favor from an ill-suited source.

  32. ولي منك آمالٌ عريضٌ مُرادُها

    وواللَّهِ لا كانتْ مطامعَ أشعبِ

    I have hopes of you, vast in what they seek,

    And, by God, may they not be the cravings of Ash'ab.

  33. فإن أنتَ صدَّقت الرجاءَ ببُغيتي

    فكم من رجاءٍ فيك غيرِ مكذَّبِ

    If you make my hope come true by granting what I seek,

    How many a hope in you has not been belied!

  34. وقد صدّق اللَّهُ الرجاءَ وإنما

    طلبتُ مزيدَ الخيرِ من خيرِ مَطْلبِ

    God has already made hope come true; I have only

    Sought greater bounty from the best source.

  35. وعِشْ عيشَ مغشيِّ الفِناءِ محجَّبٍ

    جَدا كفِّه في الناس غيرُ محجَّبِ

    And live as one whose courtyard is thronged, though he is veiled,

    While his hand's bounty among the people remains unveiled.