قُلْ لِخَيْرِ الكُفاةِ أَحْمَدَ الْ

قُلْ لِخَيْرِ الكُفاةِ أَحْمَدَ الْ

خَلْق جُوداً وَأعْظَمِ النَّاسِ قَدْرا

خَلْق جُوداً وَأعْظَمِ النَّاسِ قَدْرا

Say to the finest of administrators, Ahmad, most praised among

Say to the best of benefactors, Ahmad

mankind for generosity, and greatest of men in rank,

The most generous of people and the greatest in worth

والَّذِي يَعْشَقُ المَكارِم وَال

والَّذِي يَعْشَقُ المَكارِم وَال

مَجْدَ وَيَشْرِي بالمالِ حَمْداً وشُكْرَا

مَجْدَ وَيَشْرِي بالمالِ حَمْداً وشُكْرَا

and to him who loves noble virtues and

Who loves virtues and glory

glory, buying praise and thanks with wealth:

And gives wealth generously with thanks and gratitude

مَا رَأَى الناسُ بالْوَزِيرِ الْبُرَيْ

مَا رَأَى الناسُ بالْوَزِيرِ الْبُرَيْ

دِي كَذَا الْيَوْمِ حُسْناً وَفَخْرَا

دِي كَذَا الْيَوْمِ حُسْناً وَفَخْرَا

Never have people seen in the minister al-Baridi

People have never seen in the excellent minister, the buraidi

such beauty and glory as on this day.

Goodness and pride like today

أَمْطَرَتْنَا السَّماءُ فِيهِ بِيُمْنٍ

أَمْطَرَتْنَا السَّماءُ فِيهِ بِيُمْنٍ

وَسَماحٍ مِنْهُ لُجَيْناً وَتِبْرَا

وَسَماحٍ مِنْهُ لُجَيْناً وَتِبْرَا

The sky rained upon us that day, through blessing

The sky has rained upon us goodness

and generosity from him, silver and unminted gold.

And generosity from him abundant and plentiful

فَالدَّنَانِيرُ هاوِياتٌ تُحَاكِي

فَالدَّنَانِيرُ هاوِياتٌ تُحَاكِي

أَنْجُمَا في السَّماءِ تَنْقَضُّ زُهْرَا

أَنْجُمَا في السَّماءِ تَنْقَضُّ زُهْرَا

The falling dinars resemble

The dinars pour down like shooting stars

bright stars plunging from the sky;

Falling from the sky in clusters

وَتَلِيها دَرَاهِمٌ مُشْبِهاتٌ

وَتَلِيها دَرَاهِمٌ مُشْبِهاتٌ

أَبْرُداً تَمْلأُ الأماكِنَ نَثْرَا

أَبْرُداً تَمْلأُ الأماكِنَ نَثْرَا

and following them come dirhams resembling

Followed by dirhams resembling hail

hailstones, filling the places as they scatter,

Filling the places with scattering abundance

نَافِعاتٌ لِلْحَرْثِ لاَ يَذْهَبُ الْحَرْ

نَافِعاتٌ لِلْحَرْثِ لاَ يَذْهَبُ الْحَرْ

ثُ فَساداً وَلاَ يُصاحِبُ قَطْرا

ثُ فَساداً وَلاَ يُصاحِبُ قَطْرا

beneficial to cultivation: the crops do not go

Beneficial for agriculture, no loss comes to the crops

to ruin, nor does this hail come with rain.

Nor does drought accompany the rainfall

غَيْرَ أَنِّي انْصَرَفْتُ كَاسِفَ بالٍ

غَيْرَ أَنِّي انْصَرَفْتُ كَاسِفَ بالٍ

آسِفاً خالِياً مِنَ الْكُلِّ صِفْرَا

آسِفاً خالِياً مِنَ الْكُلِّ صِفْرَا

Yet I departed downcast in spirit,

Except that I turned away disappointed

regretful, with nothing at all, empty-handed,

Saddened, empty-handed, bleak and barren

مُضْمِراً حَسْرَةً لِذاكَ وَغَمَّاً

مُضْمِراً حَسْرَةً لِذاكَ وَغَمَّاً

وَاجِداً فِي العِظَامِ مِنِّيَ فَتْرَا

وَاجِداً فِي العِظَامِ مِنِّيَ فَتْرَا

harboring regret for that and sorrow,

Harboring regret for that and sorrow

feeling weakness within my bones,

Finding in my bones from me only weakness

سَاكِتاً إنْ سُئِلْتُ عَنْ قَدْرِ حَظِّي

سَاكِتاً إنْ سُئِلْتُ عَنْ قَدْرِ حَظِّي

لَمْ أَجِدْ لِلسُّؤالِ عِنْدِيَ خُبْرَا

لَمْ أَجِدْ لِلسُّؤالِ عِنْدِيَ خُبْرَا

silent if asked about the size of my share:

Silent, if asked about my share

I had no answer to the question.

I found in myself no answer for the question

جَمَعَ اللهُ ذَا عَلَيَّ وَعَيْذاً

جَمَعَ اللهُ ذَا عَلَيَّ وَعَيْذاً

سَالِكاً بِي مِنَ التَّقَلُلِ وَعْرَا

سَالِكاً بِي مِنَ التَّقَلُلِ وَعْرَا

God has heaped this upon me, and ʿAydh [uncertain name],

May God gather upon me punishment and affliction

leading me over the rough ground of meager means,

Taking me from destitution into naked poverty

شَاهِراً لِلْغَنِيِّ سَيْفاً وَقَتَّاً

شَاهِراً لِلْغَنِيِّ سَيْفاً وَقَتَّاً

لاَ بِهِ رَأْيٌ يُعَالِجُ فَقْرَا

لاَ بِهِ رَأْيٌ يُعَالِجُ فَقْرَا

brandishing a sword and slander against the wealthy,

Brandishing against the rich a sword and sharp blade

with no judgment in him to remedy poverty.

With it no view can treat poverty

فَاغْتِنِ كَيْمَا عُهِدْتُ عَلَيْهِ

فَاغْتِنِ كَيْمَا عُهِدْتُ عَلَيْهِ

بِعَطَايَا أَكْرَمَ النَّاسِ طُرَّاً

بِعَطَايَا أَكْرَمَ النَّاسِ طُرَّاً

So grow rich, as I was once known to be,

So enrich yourself as I was accustomed to

through gifts from the noblest of all mankind.

With the generosity of the noblest man