أَقُولُ لِدَهْرٍ ضامَنِي بَعْدَ عِزَّةٍ

أَقُولُ لِدَهْرٍ ضامَنِي بَعْدَ عِزَّةٍ

بِما فلََّ مِنْ حَدِّي وَما هَدَّ مِنْ رُكْنِي

بِما فلََّ مِنْ حَدِّي وَما هَدَّ مِنْ رُكْنِي

I say to Time, which wronged me after honor,

I say to fate that stripped me of glory

by blunting my edge and shattering my pillar:

With all it eroded of my edge and support:

أَيا دَهْرُ إِنْ حَمَّلتَنِي وَيْكَ مِنَّةً

أَيا دَهْرُ إِنْ حَمَّلتَنِي وَيْكَ مِنَّةً

لِمُولِي جِمِيلٍ فَلْتَكُنْ لأَبِي الْيُمْنِ

لِمُولِي جِمِيلٍ فَلْتَكُنْ لأَبِي الْيُمْنِ

O Time, if you burden me—woe to you!—with a debt of gratitude

O fate, though you have laden me with much disgrace

to a bestower of kindness, let it be to Abu al-Yumn.

For my gentle patron, make it virtue for my father.

فَلَسْتُ بِداعِ غَيْرَهُ عِنْدَ كُرْبَةٍ

فَلَسْتُ بِداعِ غَيْرَهُ عِنْدَ كُرْبَةٍ

إِذا لَمْ يُفَرِّجْها فَلا فُرِّجَتْ عَنِّي

إِذا لَمْ يُفَرِّجْها فَلا فُرِّجَتْ عَنِّي

For I call upon none but him in distress;

I will call on none but him in time of distress

if he does not relieve it, may it never be lifted from me.

If he does not relieve it, then it is not relieved.

كَفى بِسَعِيدٍ فِي النَّوائِبِ مُسْعِداً

كَفى بِسَعِيدٍ فِي النَّوائِبِ مُسْعِداً

سَيَبْلُغُ مِنْها فَوْقَ ما بَلَغَتْ مِنِّي

سَيَبْلُغُ مِنْها فَوْقَ ما بَلَغَتْ مِنِّي

Saʿīd suffices as a helper in calamities;

It suffices Sa'id in misfortunes to have prosperity,

he will exact from them more than they have exacted from me.

He will rise above whatever has risen over me.

فَتىً لَيْسَ كَالْمُزْنِ الْهَطُولِ بَنانُهُ

فَتىً لَيْسَ كَالْمُزْنِ الْهَطُولِ بَنانُهُ

وَلكِنَّهُ أَنْدى بَناناً مِنَ الْمُزْنِ

وَلكِنَّهُ أَنْدى بَناناً مِنَ الْمُزْنِ

A young man whose fingertips are not like the pouring rainclouds—

A youth whose build is unlike weak bending branches

but his fingertips are more bountiful than the rainclouds.

But more brilliant in build than pliant branches.