عِلمٌ وَتَحكيمٌ وَشَيبُ مَفارِقِ

عِلمٌ وَتَحكيمٌ وَشَيبُ مَفارِقِ

طَلَّسنَ رَيعانَ الشَبابِ الرائِقِ

طَلَّسنَ رَيعانَ الشَبابِ الرائِقِ

Learning, adjudication, and gray hair at the partings

Wisdom, judgment, and greying hair

Have effaced the radiant prime of youth.

Have stripped away the bloom of glorious youth,

وَإِمارَةٌ في دَولَةٍ مَيمونَةٍ

وَإِمارَةٌ في دَولَةٍ مَيمونَةٍ

كانَت عَلى اللَذّاتِ أَشغَبَ عائِقِ

كانَت عَلى اللَذّاتِ أَشغَبَ عائِقِ

And a governorship under an auspicious dynasty

And governance in a prosperous state

Was the most vexatious hindrance to pleasures.

That had obstructed pleasures is now my barrier.

فَالآنَ لا أَغدو وَلَستُ بِرائِحٍ

فَالآنَ لا أَغدو وَلَستُ بِرائِحٍ

في كِبرِ مَعشوقٍ وَذِلَّةِ عاشِقِ

في كِبرِ مَعشوقٍ وَذِلَّةِ عاشِقِ

So now I go out neither in the morning nor in the evening,

Now I neither wander nor travel,

In a beloved's pride and a lover's abasement.

In old age's submission and a lover's disgrace.

نَعَرَ اِبنُ شَكلَةَ بِالعِراقِ وَأَهلِها

نَعَرَ اِبنُ شَكلَةَ بِالعِراقِ وَأَهلِها

فَهَفا إِلَيهِ كُلُّ أَطلَسَ مائِقِ

فَهَفا إِلَيهِ كُلُّ أَطلَسَ مائِقِ

Ibn Shakla bellowed in Iraq and among its people,

Ibn Shakla cried out for Iraq and its people,

So every beardless fool flocked to him.

So every well-knit coat of mail hastened to him.

إِن كانَ إِبراهيمُ مُضطَلِعاً بِها

إِن كانَ إِبراهيمُ مُضطَلِعاً بِها

فَلَتَصلُحَن مِن بَعدِهِ لَمُخارِقِ

فَلَتَصلُحَن مِن بَعدِهِ لَمُخارِقِ

If Ibrahim is fit to shoulder it,

If Ibrahim undertakes its affairs,

Then surely after him it will befit Mukhariq,

It will improve after him despite upheavals.

وَلتَصلُحَن مِن بَعدِ ذاكَ لَزُلزُلٍ

وَلتَصلُحَن مِن بَعدِ ذاكَ لَزُلزُلٍ

وَلتَصلُحَن مِن بَعدِهِ لِلمارِقِ

وَلتَصلُحَن مِن بَعدِهِ لِلمارِقِ

And surely after that it will befit Zulzul,

It will improve after that against tremors,

And surely after him it will befit the renegade.

And will improve after him despite rebels.

أَنّى يَكونُ وَلَيسَ ذاكَ بِكائِنِ

أَنّى يَكونُ وَلَيسَ ذاكَ بِكائِنِ

يَرِثُ الخِلافَةَ فاسِقٌ عَن فاسِقِ

يَرِثُ الخِلافَةَ فاسِقٌ عَن فاسِقِ

How could it be—and that cannot be—

How can this be when it is not to transpire:

That a sinner should inherit the caliphate from a sinner?

An immoral man inherits the caliphate from an immoral man?