يا أيُّها المولى الرئيسُ ومَن لهُ

يا أيُّها المولى الرئيسُ ومَن لهُ

جودٌ يضاهي الغيثَ حَالَةَ سَكبهِ

جودٌ يضاهي الغيثَ حَالَةَ سَكبهِ

O master and chief, you whose

O lord and chief, you whose

generosity rivals the rain at the moment of its pouring,

Generosity rivals the rain as it pours,

أشكو لعَدلكَ جَورَ دَهر لم أزَل

أشكو لعَدلكَ جَورَ دَهر لم أزَل

طولَ المَدَا عَرَضاً لأَسهُم خَطبَه

طولَ المَدَا عَرَضاً لأَسهُم خَطبَه

I appeal to your justice against the tyranny of Time, for I have never ceased,

To your justice I complain of time's tyranny; I have always been

through all the long years, to be a target for the arrows of its affliction.

Throughout the years a target for the arrows of its affliction.

وأشدُّ ما قاسيتُ منهُ أنه

وأشدُّ ما قاسيتُ منهُ أنه

عن شكر فضلك قد شغُلتُ بِعَتبهِ

عن شكر فضلك قد شغُلتُ بِعَتبهِ

And the hardest thing I have suffered from it is that

And the worst I have suffered from it is that

reproaching it has distracted me from thanking you for your bounty.

Reproaching it has distracted me from thanking you for your bounty.

فاغفر لعَبد قد أتاكَ وما له

فاغفر لعَبد قد أتاكَ وما له

حسناتُ أفعالٍ تَقُومُ بَذَنبهِ

حسناتُ أفعالٍ تَقُومُ بَذَنبهِ

So forgive a servant who has come to you possessing no

So forgive a servant who has come to you and has no

good deeds sufficient to atone for his sin.

Good deeds to counterbalance his sin.

باللَه يُقسِمُ والنبيِّ وآلهِ ال

باللَه يُقسِمُ والنبيِّ وآلهِ ال

أطهارِ أصحابِ العَبَا وبصَحبه

أطهارِ أصحابِ العَبَا وبصَحبه

By God he swears, and by the Prophet and his pure—

He swears by God, by the Prophet, and by his family, the

Household, the People of the Cloak—and by his Companions:

Pure ones, the People of the Cloak, and by his companions,

ما باتَ في ذا العيد يملك درهماً

ما باتَ في ذا العيد يملك درهماً

وكفاك أنَّ الشَّعرَ أعظمُ كسبه

وكفاك أنَّ الشَّعرَ أعظمُ كسبه

this Eid night found him without a black penny to his name;

That he spent this Eid night without a single dirham;

suffice it that poetry is the greatest of his earnings.

And let it suffice you that poetry is his chief livelihood.

فَتَرَاهُ يُنشِدُ حَسرَةً وتأسُّفا

فَتَرَاهُ يُنشِدُ حَسرَةً وتأسُّفا

من هَمِّه لعدوِّه ومُحبِّهِ

من هَمِّه لعدوِّه ومُحبِّهِ

Thus you see him reciting in anguish and regret,

So you see him reciting in sorrow and regret,

driven by his cares, to enemy and beloved alike:

Out of his anguish, to his foe and his admirer:

ماذا يضرُّ الخَشكَنَانُ لو أنَّهُ

ماذا يضرُّ الخَشكَنَانُ لو أنَّهُ

في العيدِ يُخبِرُني بما في قلبهِ

في العيدِ يُخبِرُني بما في قلبهِ

What harm would it do the khashkanān if it

“What harm would it do the khashkanan pastry if it

told me, on this Eid, what lies within its heart?

Told me at Eid what lies within its heart?”

ولقد شكا لك من حوادث دَهرهِ

ولقد شكا لك من حوادث دَهرهِ

سُقماً وَلستُ بعاجزٍ عن طبِّهِ

سُقماً وَلستُ بعاجزٍ عن طبِّهِ

It has indeed complained to you that the blows of its time

And he has indeed complained to you of what the misfortunes of his life have brought:

have made it ill—and I am by no means unable to cure it.

An illness—and I am not powerless to cure it.

لا زال بابُك للهَناء مُؤَهلا

لا زال بابُك للهَناء مُؤَهلا

أبدا على بُعدِ المَزَارِ وقُربِهِ

أبدا على بُعدِ المَزَارِ وقُربِهِ

May your door never cease to welcome happiness,

May your door remain ever welcoming to joy,

forever, whether the journey to it be distant or near.

Forever, whether the place of visitation is distant or near.