ما بالُ هذا الفلكِ الجاني

ما بالُ هذا الفلكِ الجاني

نأى ولكنْ جَورُهُ دانِ

نأى ولكنْ جَورُهُ دانِ

What ails this guilty sphere of heaven?

What is with this unjust fate

It is far away, yet its injustice is near.

That withdrew, yet its tyranny remained near

وليستِ الدُّنيا سوى قَحبةٍ

وليستِ الدُّنيا سوى قَحبةٍ

تَبرُزُ في الزينةِ للزاني

تَبرُزُ في الزينةِ للزاني

And the world is nothing but a whore,

And the world is but a whore

who comes forth in finery for the fornicator.

Who shows off her decorations to the adulterer

حتى إذا اغْترَّ بإقبالِها

حتى إذا اغْترَّ بإقبالِها

مالتْ لإعراضٍ وهجرانِ

مالتْ لإعراضٍ وهجرانِ

Until, when he is beguiled by her advances,

Until when he is fooled by her prosperity

she turns to rejection and abandonment.

She inclines to rejection and estrangement

هذا عميدُ الملكِ وهو الذي

هذا عميدُ الملكِ وهو الذي

لم يَخلُ منهُ صدرُ ديوانِ

لم يَخلُ منهُ صدرُ ديوانِ

This is Amid al-Mulk, who

This is the pillar of the kingdom, he who

was never absent from the foremost seat of any council.

No page of history lacked mention of him

ولا نَضا طاعتًهُ مارِدٌ

ولا نَضا طاعتًهُ مارِدٌ

إلاّ اكتَسى فروةَ خِذلانِ

إلاّ اكتَسى فروةَ خِذلانِ

And no rebel cast off obedience to him

No rebel disobeyed his rule

without donning a fur cloak of defeat.

Except he donned the coat of humiliation

ولا اعْتراهُ القِرن إلاّ رأى

ولا اعْتراهُ القِرن إلاّ رأى

غَضَنفراً في زيِّ إنسانِ

غَضَنفراً في زيِّ إنسانِ

And no adversary assailed him without seeing

No era afflicted him except he saw

a lion in the guise of a man.

Himself in the attire of a human

كأنَّ في خاتَمِهِ حيثُ ما

كأنَّ في خاتَمِهِ حيثُ ما

أَومى بهِ فصُّ سُليمانِ

أَومى بهِ فصُّ سُليمانِ

As though within his ring, wherever

As if in his ring wherever he gestured with it

he gestured with it, lay Solomon's gem.

Was the seal ring of Solomon

شادتْ يدُ الدَّولةِ أركانَهُ

شادتْ يدُ الدَّولةِ أركانَهُ

ثمَ هوى أعظمَ بُنيانِ

ثمَ هوى أعظمَ بُنيانِ

The hand of the state raised his pillars;

The pillars of the state were erected by his hand

then he fell, the mightiest of edifices,

Then the greatest edifice collapsed

مفرَّقاً في الأرضِ أجزاؤُهُ

مفرَّقاً في الأرضِ أجزاؤُهُ

رهنَ قُرىً شتّى وبُلدانِ

رهنَ قُرىً شتّى وبُلدانِ

with his parts scattered across the earth,

Its parts scattered across the land

held captive in various villages and towns.

Held hostage in various towns and countries

جَبّ بخوارزمٍ مذاكيرَهُ

جَبّ بخوارزمٍ مذاكيرَهُ

طُغرِلُ ذاك الملكُ الفاني

طُغرِلُ ذاك الملكُ الفاني

His genitals were cut off in Khwarazm

Jibb seized his treasures in Khorasan

by Tughril, that mortal king.

That mortal king Toghril

وجادَ مروَ الرُّوذَ من جيدِهِ

وجادَ مروَ الرُّوذَ من جيدِهِ

معصفرٌ مخضبُهُ قانِ

معصفرٌ مخضبُهُ قانِ

And from his neck there rained on Marw al-Rudh

And the silk of Merv flowed from his neck

a safflower-red flow, its stain deep crimson.

Saffron-dyed soaked in his blood

والشخصُ في كُنْدُرَ مُستبطَنٌ

والشخصُ في كُنْدُرَ مُستبطَنٌ

وراءَ أرماسٍ وأكفانٍ

وراءَ أرماسٍ وأكفانٍ

And his body lies buried in Kundur,

While his figure lies in a coffin

behind graves and shrouds.

Behind screens and shrouds

ورأسُه طار فلهْفي على

ورأسُه طار فلهْفي على

مَجْثمهِ في خَيرِ جُثمانِ

مَجْثمهِ في خَيرِ جُثمانِ

And his head flew away—alas for

And his head flew because of him

its perch on the finest of bodies!

Falling on his perfect corpse

خَلّوا بنيسابورَ مَضمونَهُ

خَلّوا بنيسابورَ مَضمونَهُ

وقحفَه الخالي بكَرمانِ

وقحفَه الخالي بكَرمانِ

They left its contents in Nishapur,

They left Nishapur deprived of him

and its empty skull in Kirman.

And his bare skulls in Kerman

والحكمُ للجبّارِ فيما قَضى

والحكمُ للجبّارِ فيما قَضى

وكلَّ يومٍ هو في شان

وكلَّ يومٍ هو في شان

And judgment belongs to the Almighty in what He has decreed;

Judgment belongs to the Almighty in what He decreed

and every day He is engaged in an affair.

And every day He is doing something

فلا تُلَجِّجْ في غمارِ المُنَى

فلا تُلَجِّجْ في غمارِ المُنَى

وارضَ بما يُمني لك الماني

وارضَ بما يُمني لك الماني

So do not plunge into the deep waters of wishes,

So do not struggle in the haze of demise

and be content with what the Ordainer ordains for you.

And be content with what the days hand you