قُل لِلوَزيرِ الَّذي مَناقِبُهُ

قُل لِلوَزيرِ الَّذي مَناقِبُهُ

شائِعَةٌ في الأَنامِ مُشتَهِرَه

شائِعَةٌ في الأَنامِ مُشتَهِرَه

Say to the minister whose virtues

Say to the minister whose virtues

Are widespread among humankind, renowned:

Are spread among the people and well known,

أَعَدتَ حُسنَ الدُنيا وَجِدَّتَها

أَعَدتَ حُسنَ الدُنيا وَجِدَّتَها

فينا فَأَضحَت كَالرَوضَةِ الخَضِرَه

فينا فَأَضحَت كَالرَوضَةِ الخَضِرَه

You have restored the world's beauty and freshness

You prepared the beauty and freshness of this world for us

Among us, so it has become like a green garden.

So it became like a green garden,

وَما تَزالُ الفُتوحُ مُقبِلَةً

وَما تَزالُ الفُتوحُ مُقبِلَةً

مِن كُلِّ أُفقٍ إِلَيكَ مُبتَدِرَه

مِن كُلِّ أُفقٍ إِلَيكَ مُبتَدِرَه

And conquests keep coming,

And the victories keep coming to you

From every horizon, hastening toward you.

From every horizon, racing to reach you,

وَعائِداتُ المَعروفِ مِنكَ لَنا

وَعائِداتُ المَعروفِ مِنكَ لَنا

هَذي تُوافي وَتِلكَ مُنتَظِرَه

هَذي تُوافي وَتِلكَ مُنتَظِرَه

And the benefits of your kindness toward us—

And the favors you bestow upon us return to you

This one arrives, and that one waits.

Some are arriving while others await,

وَفَّقَكَ اللَهُ لِلسَدادِ وَلا

وَفَّقَكَ اللَهُ لِلسَدادِ وَلا

زِلتَ مَعَ الحَقِّ تَقتَفي أَثَرَه

زِلتَ مَعَ الحَقِّ تَقتَفي أَثَرَه

May God guide you to sound judgment, and may you never

May God guide you to righteousness, and you still

Cease to walk with truth, following its footsteps.

Follow the truth, tracing its path,

إِنَّ اِنتِظاري لِما اِبتَدَأَت بِهِ

إِنَّ اِنتِظاري لِما اِبتَدَأَت بِهِ

أَبلَغَ إِفراطَهُ اِمرُؤٌ عَذرَهُ

أَبلَغَ إِفراطَهُ اِمرُؤٌ عَذرَهُ

Indeed, my waiting for what you began

My waiting for what you began has reached

Has grown so excessive that a man may be excused.

Its utmost excess - the excused makes his excuse,

وَحائِزُ الشَيءِ مُمسِكٌ يَدَهُ

وَحائِزُ الشَيءِ مُمسِكٌ يَدَهُ

يَختارُ بَينَ الإيثارِ وَالأَثَرَه

يَختارُ بَينَ الإيثارِ وَالأَثَرَه

And the possessor of a thing holds back his hand,

The possessor of something holds it back

Choosing between selflessness and selfishness.

Choosing between altruism and self-interest,

وَقَد غَدَت ضَيعَتي مُنَوَّطَةً

وَقَد غَدَت ضَيعَتي مُنَوَّطَةً

بِحَيثُ نيطَت لِلناظِرِ الزُهَرَه

بِحَيثُ نيطَت لِلناظِرِ الزُهَرَه

And my estate now hangs suspended

And my land has become dependent

Where Venus hangs before the beholder's eye.

Like flowers depend on the beholder,

أَرومُ بِالشِعرِ أَن تَعودَ فَما

أَرومُ بِالشِعرِ أَن تَعودَ فَما

أَقطَعُ فيما أَرومُهُ شَعرَه

أَقطَعُ فيما أَرومُهُ شَعرَه

I seek through poetry to have it return, yet I do not

I aim with poetry so it may return, but I don’t

Advance a hair's breadth toward what I seek.

Lose hope in what I aim for,

حُكمٌ مِنَ اللَهِ أَرتَضيهِ وَلا

حُكمٌ مِنَ اللَهِ أَرتَضيهِ وَلا

تَرتابُ نَفسي في أَنَّهُ خَيرَه

تَرتابُ نَفسي في أَنَّهُ خَيرَه

A decree from God that I accept, and never

A decree from God which I accept, and my soul does not

Does my soul doubt that it is for the best.

Doubt that it is for the best,

إِنَّ رَدَّها السَعيُ وَالدَأوبُ

إِنَّ رَدَّها السَعيُ وَالدَأوبُ

فَقَد وَفَيتُ في السَعيِ أَشهُراً عَشَرَه

فَقَد وَفَيتُ في السَعيِ أَشهُراً عَشَرَه

Indeed, its restoration calls for effort and perseverance;

Regaining it is through effort and perseverance

For I have spent ten full months striving.

And I have persevered in effort for ten months,

وَإِنب قَضى اللَهُ أَن تَبينَ فَقَد

وَإِنب قَضى اللَهُ أَن تَبينَ فَقَد

كانَت فَبانَت مِن أَهلِها البَصِرَه

كانَت فَبانَت مِن أَهلِها البَصِرَه

And if God has decreed that it depart, then indeed

If God decrees that it remains lost, then

Basra once belonged to its people, then was parted from them.

It has been lost by its people since the beginning.