1. يا غنيا بفخر ملك الأنام

    عن قواف ملفقات الكلام

    O you, whose glory in ruling mankind leaves you with no need

    for rhymes of cobbled-together words.

  2. لست بالشعر ساميا إنما الشعر

    وأربابه بمدحك سامي

    You are not exalted by poetry; rather, poetry

    and its masters are exalted by praising you.

  3. أصقع الناس شاعر منَّ بالش

    عر عليكم ورام كل مرام

    The most foolish of men is a poet who counts his poetry a favor

    to you, and seeks every goal.

  4. إنما المن للمليك علينا

    إن مدحناه من غريب الكلام

    It is the king alone who does us a favor,

    if we praise him with uncommon words.

  5. قصرت همتي عن المدح فيه

    إن أقل جوده كفيض الغمام

    My aspiration falls short of praising him:

    if I say his generosity is like the downpour of clouds,

  6. أو اشبهه في الثبات بليث

    كنت قد جئت غاية في الملام

    or liken him in steadfastness to a lion,

    I would have earned the utmost reproach.

  7. إنما الأشرف بن عباس الملك

    حياة في هذه الاجسام

    King al-Ashraf ibn Abbas is the very

    life within these bodies.

  8. أيها المالك الرقاب بإرث

    وبجود ومنصب وحسام

    O you who possess men's necks by inheritance,

    and through generosity, rank, and a keen sword,

  9. إنني بعض من دعاه إليكم

    أمل صادق وبعد مرام

    indeed, I am one of those summoned to you by

    a true hope and a far-reaching aim.

  10. كلما رمت شرح حالي إليكم

    حرت بي الوقوف والإِقدام

    Whenever I sought to explain my plight to you,

    I wavered between holding back and advancing.

  11. فرجاء يحثني من ورائي

    وجلال يقوم من قدامى

    For hope urges me on from behind,

    and majesty stands before me.

  12. فاستمع شرح قصتي وأغثني

    يا غياث الورى وغوث الأنام

    So hear the account of my story and rescue me,

    O rescuer of creation and succor of mankind.

  13. كنت بالربح والتجارة مغرى

    ترتمى بي إلى بعيد المرام

    I was enamored of profit and trade,

    which flung me toward far-distant goals.

  14. فغشيت البلاد برا وبحراً

    أطلب الربح قد شددت حزامي

    So I traversed the lands by land and sea,

    seeking profit, with my belt drawn tight.

  15. ثم لما جمعت ما يسر الله

    من المال بعد طول هيامي

    Then, when I had gathered what God had enabled me to gain

    of wealth, after my long wandering,

  16. ساقني الله نحو ارض زبيد

    ودعتني كواذب الأوهام

    God led me toward the land of Zabid,

    and deceitful fancies beckoned me.

  17. فأقامت تجارتي في كساد

    واستمرت في غرامتي في الغرام

    So my trade remained stagnant,

    and continued to burden me with financial loss.

  18. ما انقضى لي هناك حولان إلا

    وقد احترت في ارتياد الطعام

    Two years had scarcely passed for me there

    when I was already at a loss how to find food.

  19. وقد أدَّنت فوق ألفين نقدا

    وإذا بالخصوم تبغى خصامى

    And I had borrowed more than two thousand in cash,

    and suddenly the creditors were pressing their claims against me.

  20. جئتكم هاربا ففرجتم الكر

    ب وذدتم حوادث الأيام

    I came to you fleeing, and you relieved my distress,

    and warded off the misfortunes of time.

  21. واستقامت حالتي وزادت نمواً

    فلك الشكر يا شريف المقام

    And my affairs were set right and grew more prosperous;

    so thanks to you, O you of noble station.

  22. ورجائي لديك أن تقضي الدين

    وأمسي خلوا من الإِهتمام

    And my hope in you is that you will settle the debt,

    and that I may end the day free of worry.

  23. ان قلباً سكنته وهو قلبي

    ليس للاهتمام دار مقام

    Indeed, a heart in which you dwell—and that heart is mine—

    is no dwelling place for worry.

  24. ان أهل الديون أضنوا فؤادي

    أكفنيهم كفيت يوم القيام

    Indeed, the creditors have worn out my heart;

    shield me from them; may you be shielded on the Day of Resurrection.

  25. اكفنيهم يمزجة من مداد

    فوق فصل بلفظة من كلام

    Shield me from them with a drop of ink

    atop a document, with a single word.