إِلى المَلِكِ المُهَيمِنِ نَستَغيثُ

إِلى المَلِكِ المُهَيمِنِ نَستَغيثُ

لَئِن ذاقَ الرَّدى المَلِكُ المُغيثُ

لَئِن ذاقَ الرَّدى المَلِكُ المُغيثُ

To the all-watchful King we cry for help,

To the victorious King we cry for help,

if indeed King al-Mughith has tasted death.

If the helper King has tasted adversity,

تَذكَّرهُ المُلوكُ بِكُلِّ نادٍ

تَذكَّرهُ المُلوكُ بِكُلِّ نادٍ

فَيَكثُرُ في سِيادَتِهِ الحَديثُ

فَيَكثُرُ في سِيادَتِهِ الحَديثُ

Kings have remembered him at every gathering,

Kings in every land will remember him,

so talk of his lordship abounds.

And talk of his sovereignty will abound,

يُقَصِّرُ عَن مَدائِحِهِ جَريرٌ

يُقَصِّرُ عَن مَدائِحِهِ جَريرٌ

وَجَروَلُ وَالفَرَزدَقَ وَالبَعيثُ

وَجَروَلُ وَالفَرَزدَقَ وَالبَعيثُ

Jarir falls short in praising him,

Jarir falls short of singing his praises,

as do Jarwal, al-Farazdaq, and al-Ba'ith.

As do Jarwal and Al-Farazdaq and Al-Ba’ith,

سَيَشهَدُ في المَعادِ لَهُ الكِتابُ ال

سَيَشهَدُ في المَعادِ لَهُ الكِتابُ ال

عَزيزُ بِأَن تَلاهُ وَالحَديثُ

عَزيزُ بِأَن تَلاهُ وَالحَديثُ

At the Resurrection, the Book will bear witness for him—the

The Book will bear witness for him on Judgment Day,

mighty Book—that he recited it, as will the Hadith.

The Mighty One through whom it was revealed and the Tradition,

وَكُلُّ الناسِ مِن أَسَفٍ عَلَيهِ

وَكُلُّ الناسِ مِن أَسَفٍ عَلَيهِ

يُخالُ بِصَدرِهِ صِلٌّ نَفوثُ

يُخالُ بِصَدرِهِ صِلٌّ نَفوثُ

And everyone, from sorrow for him,

And all people grieve for him,

seems to have a venom-spitting viper in his breast.

With sighs bursting from their breasts,

مُصابٌ زَلزَلَ الأَرضين حُزناً

مُصابٌ زَلزَلَ الأَرضين حُزناً

بِدُنيانا فَأَطيَبُها خَبيثُ

بِدُنيانا فَأَطيَبُها خَبيثُ

A calamity shook the earths with grief

An affliction that shook the earth with sorrow,

in our world, so its sweetest is foul.

When its best parts are the most rotten,

وَرُزءٌ كُوِّرَت شَمسُ المَعالي

وَرُزءٌ كُوِّرَت شَمسُ المَعالي

لَهُ أَسَفاً وَأُبهِجَ مَن يَعيثُ

لَهُ أَسَفاً وَأُبهِجَ مَن يَعيثُ

And a bereavement: the sun of noble deeds was folded up

The sun of glory was eclipsed for him,

in grief for it, while those who wreak havoc were gladdened.

To his sorrow, bringing joy to the despoiler,

أَرانا حسنَ يوسُفَ رأيَ عَينٍ

أَرانا حسنَ يوسُفَ رأيَ عَينٍ

وَأَنسانا القَديمَ بِهِ الحَديثُ

وَأَنسانا القَديمَ بِهِ الحَديثُ

He showed us Yusuf's beauty with our own eyes,

We saw the beauty of Joseph before our eyes,

and through him the new made us forget the old.

And the old stories were made new through him,

وَلَم نَرَ قَبلَهُ أَسَداً وَشَمساً

وَلَم نَرَ قَبلَهُ أَسَداً وَشَمساً

يَفيءُ عَلَيهِما الشعرُ الأَثيثُ

يَفيءُ عَلَيهِما الشعرُ الأَثيثُ

And before him we had never seen a lion and a sun

Never before did we see a lion or sun,

with luxuriant hair casting shade on them both.

Against which the excellent poetry was feeble,

فَلا عَدَدٌ وَلا عُدَدٌ تَوَقّى

فَلا عَدَدٌ وَلا عُدَدٌ تَوَقّى

بِها المَلِكُ المُغيثُ المُستَغيثُ

بِها المَلِكُ المُغيثُ المُستَغيثُ

So neither numbers nor arms could shield

Neither numbers nor count resembled

King al-Mughith, himself crying for help.

The helper King, the sought-for refuge,

وَلَم تُغنِ البُروجُ مُشَيَّداتٍ

وَلَم تُغنِ البُروجُ مُشَيَّداتٍ

عَشِيَّةَ حُمَّ لِلأَجَلِ الحُدوثُ

عَشِيَّةَ حُمَّ لِلأَجَلِ الحُدوثُ

Nor did towers, built high, avail

Nor did the towering constellations avail

on the evening when the appointed end was decreed to come.

On the eve when fate newly arrived,

أَبو بَكرٍ رَجا عُمَراً إِماماً

أَبو بَكرٍ رَجا عُمَراً إِماماً

تَسيرُ وَراءهُ مِنهُ البُعوثُ

تَسيرُ وَراءهُ مِنهُ البُعوثُ

Abu Bakr hoped Umar would be a leader,

Abu Bakr hoped that Umar would be Imam,

with troops sent by him marching behind him.

Armies would march behind him when he was sent forth,

فَحالَت دونَ مُنيَتِهِ المَنايا

فَحالَت دونَ مُنيَتِهِ المَنايا

وَأَرخى جَيشَها السَيرُ الحَثيثُ

وَأَرخى جَيشَها السَيرُ الحَثيثُ

But death's decrees stood in the way of his wish,

But death stood between him and his demise,

and swift marching unleashed their army.

And unleashed its swift-running troops,

وَأَخلَفَ ظَنَّهُ زَمَنٌ غَشومٌ

وَأَخلَفَ ظَنَّهُ زَمَنٌ غَشومٌ

لِعَهدِ الآمِلينَ بِهِ نَكوثُ

لِعَهدِ الآمِلينَ بِهِ نَكوثُ

And ruthless time disappointed his expectation,

And treacherous time betrayed his hopes,

breaking its pact with those who place their hope in it.

Of those who hoped he would keep his word,

وَقَينا السوءَ فيهِ وَفي بَنيهِ

وَقَينا السوءَ فيهِ وَفي بَنيهِ

وَلا يَعبَث بِهِ زَمَنٌ عَبوثُ

وَلا يَعبَث بِهِ زَمَنٌ عَبوثُ

May we be spared harm befalling him and his sons,

We feared evil for him and for his sons,

and may no mischievous age toy with him.

But no wanton time played with him,

فَكُلُّهُم لَهُ في الناسِ وُدٌّ

فَكُلُّهُم لَهُ في الناسِ وُدٌّ

يَعوقُ أَذاهُم وَلَهُ يَغوثُ

يَعوقُ أَذاهُم وَلَهُ يَغوثُ

For each of them has love among the people,

For all of them were beloved by the people,

which wards off their harm and comes to his aid.

Their harm held back, and he was their succor,

أَتَطمَعُ في البَقاءِ وَهَل بَقاءٌ

أَتَطمَعُ في البَقاءِ وَهَل بَقاءٌ

وَآدَمُ قَبلَنا أَودى وَشيثُ

وَآدَمُ قَبلَنا أَودى وَشيثُ

Do you hope for lasting life—and is there lasting life,

Can one hope to remain when Adam before us

when Adam perished before us, and Shith?

Perished, as did Seth?

فَلا يَركَن إِلى الدُنيا لَبيبٌ

فَلا يَركَن إِلى الدُنيا لَبيبٌ

فَعِقدُ عُهودِها واهٍ رَثيثُ

فَعِقدُ عُهودِها واهٍ رَثيثُ

So let no wise person lean upon this world,

No sane man relies on this world,

for the necklace of its pledges is frail and frayed.

Its pledges are flimsy and base.

فَكُلُّ مُلوكِ دُنيانا سِواهُم

فَكُلُّ مُلوكِ دُنيانا سِواهُم

يَوَدُّ مَكانهم فيها رَغوثُ

يَوَدُّ مَكانهم فيها رَغوثُ

So, as for all the kings of our world apart from them,

All the kings of our world but him

a nursing ewe longs for their place in it.

Wish to take his place within it, a rabble,