لِخَيرِ إِمامٍ قامَ مِن خَيرِ مَعشَرٍ

لِخَيرِ إِمامٍ قامَ مِن خَيرِ مَعشَرٍ

وَأَكرَمِ بَسّامٍ عَلى عودِ مِنبَرِ

وَأَكرَمِ بَسّامٍ عَلى عودِ مِنبَرِ

To the best imam, sprung from the best of people,

For the best imam who stood from the best tribe

and the noblest ever-smiling man upon a wooden pulpit,

And the most generous smiling man on the pulpit

وَوارِثِ عِلمِ الأَوَّلينَ وَمُلكِهِم

وَوارِثِ عِلمِ الأَوَّلينَ وَمُلكِهِم

إِلى المَلِكِ المَأمونِ مِن أُمِّ جَعفَرِ

إِلى المَلِكِ المَأمونِ مِن أُمِّ جَعفَرِ

and heir to the ancients' knowledge and their dominion:

And heir of the knowledge of the ancients and their kingdom

to King al-Ma'mun, from Umm Ja'far.

To the protected king, son of Ja'far

كَتَبتُ وَعَيني تَستَهِلُّ دُمُعُها

كَتَبتُ وَعَيني تَستَهِلُّ دُمُعُها

إِلَيكَ ابنَ عَمّي مِن دُموعي وَمَحجِري

إِلَيكَ ابنَ عَمّي مِن دُموعي وَمَحجِري

I wrote while tears streamed from my eye,

I wrote while my eyes shed their tears

to you, my cousin, from my tears and my eye's hollow.

To you my cousin with my tears and eyelids

فُجِعنا بِأَدنى الناسِ مِنكَ قَرابَةً

فُجِعنا بِأَدنى الناسِ مِنكَ قَرابَةً

وَمَن زَلَّ عَن كِبدي فَقَلَّ تَصَبُّري

وَمَن زَلَّ عَن كِبدي فَقَلَّ تَصَبُّري

We were bereaved of the one nearest to you in kinship,

We were saddened by the one closest to you in lineage

and of one who slipped from my liver, so my endurance dwindled.

And whoever strayed from my liver, my patience was little

أَتى طاهِرٌ لاطَهَّرَ اللَهُ طاهِراً

أَتى طاهِرٌ لاطَهَّرَ اللَهُ طاهِراً

وَما طَهِرٌ في فِعلِهِ بِمُطَهَّرِ

وَما طَهِرٌ في فِعلِهِ بِمُطَهَّرِ

Tahir came—may God not purify Tahir!

A pure one came, may God purify the pure one

And Tahir is not pure in his deeds.

And the pure one was not pure in his deeds

فَأَبرَزَني مَكشوفَةَ الوَجهِ حاسِراً

فَأَبرَزَني مَكشوفَةَ الوَجهِ حاسِراً

وَأَنهَبَ أَموالي وَخَرَّبَ أَدوُري

وَأَنهَبَ أَموالي وَخَرَّبَ أَدوُري

So he brought me out, face unveiled and bareheaded,

So he brought me out barefaced, in loss

and gave my wealth over to plunder and ruined my homes.

And he took my money and destroyed my homes

يَعِزُّ عَلى هارونَ ما قَد لَقيتُهُ

يَعِزُّ عَلى هارونَ ما قَد لَقيتُهُ

وَما نابَني مِن ناقِصِ الخَلقِ أَعوَرِ

وَما نابَني مِن ناقِصِ الخَلقِ أَعوَرِ

What I have endured is grievous to Harun,

What I have faced saddens Haroun

and what befell me from one flawed in body and blind in one eye.

And the one lacking in manners and blind in one eye wronged me

تَذَكَّر أَمِرَ المُؤمِنينَ قَرابَتي

تَذَكَّر أَمِرَ المُؤمِنينَ قَرابَتي

فَدَيتُكَ مِن ذي قُربَةٍ مُتَذَكِّرِ

فَدَيتُكَ مِن ذي قُربَةٍ مُتَذَكِّرِ

Remember my kinship, Commander of the Faithful;

Remember my kinship to the Commander of the Faithful

may I be your ransom, mindful kinsman!

I ransom you, one who remembers those close

فَإِن يَكُ ما أَسدى لِأَمرٍ أَمَرتَهُ

فَإِن يَكُ ما أَسدى لِأَمرٍ أَمَرتَهُ

صَبَرتُ لِأَمرٍ مِن قَديرٍ مُدَبِّرِ

صَبَرتُ لِأَمرٍ مِن قَديرٍ مُدَبِّرِ

So if what he did was by an order you gave him,

If what transpired was by your command

I shall patiently bear an order from a powerful ruler.

I remain patient with the decree of the All-Powerful, All-Planning

وَإِن تَكُنِ الأُخرى فَغَيرُ مُدافَعٍ

وَإِن تَكُنِ الأُخرى فَغَيرُ مُدافَعٍ

إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ فَغَيِّرِ

إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ فَغَيِّرِ

And if it is otherwise, then I turn, unrebuffed,

But if it is otherwise, none can defend me

to you, Commander of the Faithful—so change it.

Against you, Commander of the Faithful, so change it!