خليفة الله مالي كلما بَسَطتْ

خليفة الله مالي كلما بَسَطتْ

نفسي الرجاء حوى الحرمان آمالي

نفسي الرجاء حوى الحرمان آمالي

Caliph of God, why, whenever hope is extended

The viceroy of Allah, why is it that whenever

by my soul, does deprivation engulf my wishes,

I extend my soul with hope, deprivation eats away at my aspirations?

وكلما كثرت والحال شاهدةٌ

وكلما كثرت والحال شاهدةٌ

وسائلي آذَنَتْ حالي بإقْلالِ

وسائلي آذَنَتْ حالي بإقْلالِ

and whenever there is an increase—my plight bears witness—

And whenever my means increase, my condition bears witness,

in my means of appeal, does my condition proclaim poverty?

My state signals to me its paucity.

كأنني لم أشمْ برق ابن مُنْجبةٍ

كأنني لم أشمْ برق ابن مُنْجبةٍ

جَمَّ المكارم للمعروفِ بَذَالِ

جَمَّ المكارم للمعروفِ بَذَالِ

As though I had not watched for lightning from a noble mother's son,

As if I never sensed the lightning of Ibn Munjibah

abundant in noble deeds, lavish in beneficence,

Who brought all noble deeds together for the sake of goodwill and generosity

أمضى الخلائف عزماً عند مجْلةٍ

أمضى الخلائف عزماً عند مجْلةٍ

وأثبتِ القوم قلْباً عند أهْوالِ

وأثبتِ القوم قلْباً عند أهْوالِ

the most resolute of caliphs in a grave crisis,

The most resolute caliphs at the time of tribulation

and the steadiest-hearted of men amid terrors,

And the bravest men in times of terror

مُنكِّب العيش خفضاً من تهامُمه

مُنكِّب العيش خفضاً من تهامُمه

ونازلٍ بشعافِ المجدِ مِحْلالِ

ونازلٍ بشعافِ المجدِ مِحْلالِ

forsaking life's ease because of his cares,

Turning away from vainglory with lowered ambitions

and settled on glory's summits, ever dwelling there.

And descending from the peaks of glory with submission

وقد مدحتُ فلم أتركْ مُحبَّرةً

وقد مدحتُ فلم أتركْ مُحبَّرةً

إلا لها ذاكرٌ في محْفِلٍ تالِ

إلا لها ذاكرٌ في محْفِلٍ تالِ

And I have praised you, leaving no finely wrought ode

And I have praised without leaving any eloquent words

without someone recalling it and reciting it in an assembly.

That do not have a speaker mentioning them in every gathering

وقد وطئتُ بطرفي يوم حربكُم

وقد وطئتُ بطرفي يوم حربكُم

بالقاسميَّةِ في هاماتِ أبْطالِ

بالقاسميَّةِ في هاماتِ أبْطالِ

And I trampled with my steed on the day of your battle,

And I have set foot with my eyes on the day of your battle

at al-Qasimiyya, upon the heads of champions.

In Al-Qasimiya among the brows of heroes

وما نهدتمْ إلى غزوٍ فأقعدني

وما نهدتمْ إلى غزوٍ فأقعدني

بخس الحظوظ ولا التقصير في الحال

بخس الحظوظ ولا التقصير في الحال

And never, when you marched to war, was I held back

And you did not refrain from invading so I would stay behind

by meager fortune or a lack of means.

Due to bad luck or inadequacy at the time

فارْعوا ذمام محبٍّ دون مجدكمُ

فارْعوا ذمام محبٍّ دون مجدكمُ

مقارعٍ بين قوَّالٍ وصَوَّالِ

مقارعٍ بين قوَّالٍ وصَوَّالِ

So honor the claim of one who loves you and, in defense of your glory,

So quench the thirst of a loving man apart from your glory

contends as both an eloquent speaker and a fierce assailant.

Struggling between a trickster and a peddler

وهوِّنوا المالَ في إحْراز حمدكمُ

وهوِّنوا المالَ في إحْراز حمدكمُ

فالحمدُ للمُقْتني أبقى من المال

فالحمدُ للمُقْتني أبقى من المال

And hold wealth cheap in securing praise for yourselves,

And make the money easy in preserving your praise

for praise, to its possessor, endures longer than wealth.

For praise for the purchaser is more lasting than money