أَتَرضونني يا آل جرّاح إِنَّني

أَتَرضونني يا آل جرّاح إِنَّني

مُدوّيٍ لكم أَضحى مَدى الدَهرِ هالِكا

مُدوّيٍ لكم أَضحى مَدى الدَهرِ هالِكا

Are you content with me, O house of Jarrah? Indeed, I am

O family of Jarrāḥ, do you approve of me, though

a voice raised for you, now ruined for all time.

I have been ruined for you all my life?

وَما زِلتُ أَرجو أَن أَراكُم كَما أَرى

وَما زِلتُ أَرجو أَن أَراكُم كَما أَرى

تَكون عَلى رغمِ المُلوكِ المَمالِكا

تَكون عَلى رغمِ المُلوكِ المَمالِكا

I have never ceased hoping to see you, as I envision,

I still hope to see you as I see

become kingdoms, in defiance of kings.

empires in spite of kings.

وَلما أَتى فَتحُ الشام رَمقتُهُ

وَلما أَتى فَتحُ الشام رَمقتُهُ

بعين امرىء لِلرِّق أَضحى مُشارِكا

بعين امرىء لِلرِّق أَضحى مُشارِكا

When the conquest of al-Sham came, I watched it

And when the conquest of Syria occurred,

with the eye of a man who had come to share in bondage.

I eyed it with the sight of one brought low.

وَلَمّا أَفاد الناس مِنهُ وَأَينعت

وَلَمّا أَفاد الناس مِنهُ وَأَينعت

ثِمار الغِنى مِنهُ وَلَم أَلق ذُلِكا

ثِمار الغِنى مِنهُ وَلَم أَلق ذُلِكا

When people benefited from it, and there ripened

And when people benefited from it and

the fruits of wealth it bore, I found none of that.

the fruits of wealth from it ripened, without attaining any,

غَصَصتُ بِأَمرٍ لَم أَكُن جاهِلاً بِهِ

غَصَصتُ بِأَمرٍ لَم أَكُن جاهِلاً بِهِ

ولا راقِباً مِنهُ يُلِمُّ مُشابِكا

ولا راقِباً مِنهُ يُلِمُّ مُشابِكا

I choked on a matter of which I had not been ignorant,

I was aggrieved by something I was not ignorant of,

nor had I expected it to come and grapple with me.

nor had I created entanglements with it.

أَما كانَ لي في حُرمَةِ السَعيِ مِنكم

أَما كانَ لي في حُرمَةِ السَعيِ مِنكم

ذمام يَردُّ البَغيَ بِالعَزمِ آفكا

ذمام يَردُّ البَغيَ بِالعَزمِ آفكا

Did the sanctity of my striving not earn me from you

Did I not have, in your esteemed efforts,

a pledge that resolutely repels oppression and turns it back?

a restraint to ward off wrong with determination?

أَما كانَ في مَدحِ الأَمير أَبي النَدى

أَما كانَ في مَدحِ الأَمير أَبي النَدى

لكم مَذهَبٌ تَقضون فيهِ الحَسائِكا

لكم مَذهَبٌ تَقضون فيهِ الحَسائِكا

Was there not, in praising the emir Abu al-Nada,

Was there not in praising the Prince Abū al-Nadā

a way for you to clear away the thorns of rancor?

a course for you to fulfill hopes?

تَرى الغيث وَهيَ العارِض الجونِ تَنثَني

تَرى الغيث وَهيَ العارِض الجونِ تَنثَني

لشقوة جَدّي جامِد الهطل فارِكا

لشقوة جَدّي جامِد الهطل فارِكا

You see the rain, its dark cloud turning away

You see the rain clouds and lightning

because of my ill-starred luck, its downpour frozen, averse to me.

veil the eye, solid pouring rain ceasing.

تَرى البرق أَغشى العَين منكم مناره

تَرى البرق أَغشى العَين منكم مناره

يَعود لِبَختي أَسود اللون حالِكا

يَعود لِبَختي أَسود اللون حالِكا

You see the lightning, whose beacon from you dazzled the eye,

You see the lightning overwhelm the eye's beacon—

turn, because of my luck, black in hue, pitch-dark.

for my fortune it returns gloomy and perishing.

تَراني لِتَقديري حُرمتُ حِباءَكم

تَراني لِتَقديري حُرمتُ حِباءَكم

فَأَصبَحَ مِنّي حادِثُ الدَهرِ ناهِكا

فَأَصبَحَ مِنّي حادِثُ الدَهرِ ناهِكا

You see me, by my destined lot, denied your bounty;

You see that by my fate I have been deprived of your affection,

and time's calamity has come to sap my strength.

so that events have left me devastated.

فَإِن كانَ يُمنُ الدَولَةِ اختار مُهجَتي

فَإِن كانَ يُمنُ الدَولَةِ اختار مُهجَتي

وَخَلَّصها إِذا خَيَّم المَوتُ بارِكا

وَخَلَّصها إِذا خَيَّم المَوتُ بارِكا

Then if the realm's good fortune had chosen my life's blood

So if he who brings good fortune chose my ruin

and saved it when death encamped, kneeling,

and saved it when death hovers, blessing,

فَكَم عَزمَةٍ لِلمَلكِ زادَت بِحِكمَةٍ

فَكَم عَزمَةٍ لِلمَلكِ زادَت بِحِكمَةٍ

وَسَدَّت عَلى سُبُلِ الطَريقِ المَسالِكا

وَسَدَّت عَلى سُبُلِ الطَريقِ المَسالِكا

how many a resolve of the king has grown through wisdom

How much resolution for the king increased through wisdom

and blocked the passages along the road's pathways!

and closed off the paths of the ways!

وَكَم رام ثَوبَ العِزِّ إِنَّ سَتيرَهُ

وَكَم رام ثَوبَ العِزِّ إِنَّ سَتيرَهُ

بِذُلِّ وَأَن تَلقى له الدَهرَ مالِكا

بِذُلِّ وَأَن تَلقى له الدَهرَ مالِكا

How many have sought the robe of honor! Indeed, its wearer

And how many longed for the garb of honor when smoothing down

is in abasement, and you find Time his master.

and the times encounter one despised!

أَلا إِنَّ هَذا العَبدَ رَهنَ كَفالَةٍ

أَلا إِنَّ هَذا العَبدَ رَهنَ كَفالَةٍ

وَقَد أَطلقتَه أَريحيَّة جاهِكا

وَقَد أَطلقتَه أَريحيَّة جاهِكا

Behold, this slave is held in pledge under a surety,

Indeed, this servant is pledged as a guarantor—

and you have already freed him through the magnanimity of your standing.

and you released him, ennobled by your rank.

وَقَد كانَ مَملوكاً وَفي رَدِّ مالِهِ

وَقَد كانَ مَملوكاً وَفي رَدِّ مالِهِ

حَياةٌ لَهُ فاجعَلهُ من عُتقائِكا

حَياةٌ لَهُ فاجعَلهُ من عُتقائِكا

He had indeed been a slave, and in restoring his property

He was a slave, and in repaying his capital

there is life for him; so make him one of your freedmen.

is life for him. So make him one of your freedmen.