أَلا قولا لِحَمدانِ

أَلا قولا لِحَمدانِ

أَيا فاسِقَ مُردانِ

أَيا فاسِقَ مُردانِ

Come, you two, say to Hamdan:

Oh, say to Hamdan,

O libertine among beardless youths,

Oh, corrupter of beardless youths,

وَيا بَطبَطَ صينِيٍّ

وَيا بَطبَطَ صينِيٍّ

وَيا سَوسَنَ بُستانِ

وَيا سَوسَنَ بُستانِ

and O Chinese duck,

And oh, Chinese duck,

and O iris of a garden!

And oh, lily of the garden:

لَقَد أُنبِئتُ تَهديدَ

لَقَد أُنبِئتُ تَهديدَ

كَ إِيّايَ فَأَشجاني

كَ إِيّايَ فَأَشجاني

I have indeed been told of the threat

I have been informed of the threat

you made against me, and it grieved me.

You directed at me, and it distressed me.

وَفي عَينَيكَ ما أَبلَ

وَفي عَينَيكَ ما أَبلَ

غَ في قَتلِيَ يا جاني

غَ في قَتلِيَ يا جاني

And in your eyes lies something more effective

Yet in your eyes lies what is most potent

at killing me, O wrongdoer.

In slaying me, oh criminal.

وَما غَرَّكَ يا شاطِ

وَما غَرَّكَ يا شاطِ

رُ مِنّي غَيرُ إِذعاني

رُ مِنّي غَيرُ إِذعاني

And what deluded you, O rogue,

And nothing emboldened you, oh rogue,

about me, except my submission,

Against me, save for my own submission,

وَأَنّي أَحفَظُ العَهدَ

وَأَنّي أَحفَظُ العَهدَ

وَأَرعاكَ وَتَنساني

وَأَرعاكَ وَتَنساني

and that I keep the pledge,

And that I keep the covenant,

and care for you while you forget me?

Caring for you while you forget me.

فَيا وَيلي عَلى إِعرا

فَيا وَيلي عَلى إِعرا

ضِ حَمدانَ الخُراساني

ضِ حَمدانَ الخُراساني

So woe is me at the turning away

So woe is me for the alienation

of Hamdan the Khurasani!

Of Hamdan the Khurasani,

وَمَن سَمَّيتُهُ المَولى

وَمَن سَمَّيتُهُ المَولى

وَعَبدَ السوءِ سَمّاني

وَعَبدَ السوءِ سَمّاني

And he whom I called 'master'

He whom I named the Master,

in turn called me a vile slave.

While he named me the wretched slave.

وَمَن قَد كانَ لي أَطوَ

وَمَن قَد كانَ لي أَطوَ

عَ مِن طَيرِ سُلَيمانِ

عَ مِن طَيرِ سُلَيمانِ

And he who had been more obedient to me

And he who was once more obedient to me

than Solomon's birds—

Than the birds were to Solomon.

كَأَنَّ النارَ في ذَيلي

كَأَنَّ النارَ في ذَيلي

وَفي جَيبي وَأَرداني

وَفي جَيبي وَأَرداني

as though fire were in my hem

It is as if fire were in my hem,

and in my bosom and sleeves—

And in my pocket and my sleeves,

فَأَمسى يَعبُدُ اللَهَ

فَأَمسى يَعبُدُ اللَهَ

بِهُجراني وَعِصياني

بِهُجراني وَعِصياني

has now come to worship God

For he has come to worship God

by forsaking me and disobeying me.

By abandoning and disobeying me.