أَلا هَل لِظُلمٍ لا يُطاق دِفاعُ

أَلا هَل لِظُلمٍ لا يُطاق دِفاعُ

وَدَعوى عَلى الخَصم الأَلدّ سَماعُ

وَدَعوى عَلى الخَصم الأَلدّ سَماعُ

Ah, is there any defense against unbearable injustice,

Alas! Is there no defense against unbearable injustice?

and any hearing for a claim against an implacable adversary?

No hearing of a claim against the most hostile opponent?

فَلَم يَبقَ في قَوس التَبصُّرِ مَنزَعٌ

فَلَم يَبقَ في قَوس التَبصُّرِ مَنزَعٌ

وَقَد طالَ مِن عَبدِ الكَريمِ نِزاعُ

وَقَد طالَ مِن عَبدِ الكَريمِ نِزاعُ

So no further draw remains in the bow of deliberation,

No way remains in the bow of insight and judgment.

and Abd al-Karim's wrangling has gone on too long.

The dispute of the generous servant has dragged on too long.

رَمَتهُ سِهامُ الحادِثاتِ وَأَقصَدَت

رَمَتهُ سِهامُ الحادِثاتِ وَأَقصَدَت

حماةُ المَنايا صارِمٌ وَيَراعُ

حماةُ المَنايا صارِمٌ وَيَراعُ

May calamity's arrows strike him, and may he be felled by

The arrows of fate have struck him and the resolute guardians of death have aimed at him.

death's champions—a keen sword and a reed pen.

His life is torn to shreds, every shred torn apart,

تَمَزَّق مِنهُ العُمر كُلّ مَمَزَّقٍ

تَمَزَّق مِنهُ العُمر كُلّ مَمَزَّقٍ

وَيَنتاشه مِنها يَدٌ وَذِراعُ

وَيَنتاشه مِنها يَدٌ وَذِراعُ

May his life be torn utterly to shreds,

And a hand and an arm snatch parts of it away.

and may their hand and arm snatch him away,

When he did not fulfill at the proper time a promise

إِذا هُوَ لَم يُنجِز عَلى القُرب مَوعِداً

إِذا هُوَ لَم يُنجِز عَلى القُرب مَوعِداً

بِمَنصِبِ دَرسٍ لَيسَ عَنهُ دِفاعُ

بِمَنصِبِ دَرسٍ لَيسَ عَنهُ دِفاعُ

if he does not soon fulfill a promise

Of an office which cannot be defended,

of a teaching post, with no evading it.

I never hoped from him for any office, but rather

وَلَم أَرجُ مِنهُ مَنصِباً قَطّ إِنَّما

وَلَم أَرجُ مِنهُ مَنصِباً قَطّ إِنَّما

رَجَوتُ نَدى سَعدٍ نَداه طِباعُ

رَجَوتُ نَدى سَعدٍ نَداه طِباعُ

I never hoped for a post from him; I only

I hoped for the dew of good fortune, whose nature is benevolence.

hoped for Sa'd's bounty—generosity is his nature:

A youth whose palm is created for three things:

فَتى كَفّه مَخلوقةٌ لِثَلاثَةٍ

فَتى كَفّه مَخلوقةٌ لِثَلاثَةٍ

سَماحٌ وَعَضبٌ صارِمٌ وَيَراعُ

سَماحٌ وَعَضبٌ صارِمٌ وَيَراعُ

a young man whose hand was made for three things:

Generosity, sternness, and valor.

generosity, a keen, cutting sword, and a reed pen.

My lord, my lineage has become widely known at your door,

أَمَولاي قَد شاعَت لِبابِكَ نِسبَتي

أَمَولاي قَد شاعَت لِبابِكَ نِسبَتي

وَمَقسومُ مَدحي في عُلاك مُشاعُ

وَمَقسومُ مَدحي في عُلاك مُشاعُ

O my lord, my attachment to your door is widely known,

And my poetry praising your eminence is shared.

and the praise I have allotted to your eminence is spread abroad.

Many odes have issued from me to you,

وَقَد صَدَرَت مِنّي إِلَيكَ قَصائِدٌ

وَقَد صَدَرَت مِنّي إِلَيكَ قَصائِدٌ

وَرُقعَة وَجه لَم تُهَن وَرِقاعُ

وَرُقعَة وَجه لَم تُهَن وَرِقاعُ

Poems have gone forth from me to you,

And messages whose honor is unblemished and pure.

and a face's skin never abased, and written petitions.

You made a promise to me whose fulfillment has been delayed,

وَلي مِنكَ وَعدٌ قَد تَراخى نِجازه

وَلي مِنكَ وَعدٌ قَد تَراخى نِجازه

فَمُنّ بِميعادٍ خُطاه سِراعُ

فَمُنّ بِميعادٍ خُطاه سِراعُ

I have a promise from you whose fulfillment has been delayed;

So fulfill it at a rapid pace.

so grant an appointed time whose steps are swift.

Fulfill it by your authoritative command, for

فَأَنجِزهُ بِالأَمرِ المُطاعِ فَهَذِهِ

فَأَنجِزهُ بِالأَمرِ المُطاعِ فَهَذِهِ

أَوامِرُكُم في الخافِقَينِ تُطاعُ

أَوامِرُكُم في الخافِقَينِ تُطاعُ

Then fulfill it with an order that is obeyed, for these

Your commands are obeyed by those with beating hearts.

commands of yours are obeyed in East and West.