واليgovernor of الولاةthe governors إليكto you مظلمتيmy grievance
والي الولاة إليك مظلمتي
أشكوI complain بعينunder the eye of الواحدthe One الأحدِthe Unique
أشكو بعين الواحد الأحدِ
Governor of governors, to you I bring my grievance;
To the governor of governors, I bring my grievance
I complain under the eye of the One, the Unique.
I complain to the One, the Unique
لرواقكto your portico الشاكونthe complainants قدalready عمدواmade their way
لرواقك الشاكون قد عمدوا
ورواقand the portico of عدلكyour justice مشرعopen العمدِthe pillars
ورواق عدلك مشرع العمدِ
The complainants have made for your portico,
Those who frequent your halls have schemed
and the pillared portico of your justice stands open.
While the halls of your justice stand open
بلدٌa town بهاin it يرشىis bribed علانيةopenly
بلدٌ بها يرشى علانية
والمرتشيand the bribe-taker هوhe حاكمthe ruler of البلدِthe town
والمرتشي هو حاكم البلدِ
A town where bribes are openly given,
A land where bribery happens openly
and the bribe-taker is the town's ruler.
And the bribe-taker rules the land
كيدٌa plot ولاand not even فرعونPharaoh كادبهِplotted with it
كيدٌ ولا فرعون كادبهِ
موسىMoses بنفثby blowing السحرsorcery فيinto العقدِthe knots
موسى بنفث السحر في العقدِ
A plot not even Pharaoh devised against
A plot like no plot Pharaoh schemed
Moses, by breathing sorcery into knots.
Against Moses with his spellbinding knots
سلطانauthority حقrightful أنتyou تظهرهyou make it manifest
سلطان حق أنت تظهره
بالعدلthrough justice والسلطانand authority والرشدِand sound judgment
بالعدل والسلطان والرشدِ
Rightful sovereignty you make manifest
You are the sultan of truth made manifest
through justice, power, and sound judgment,
Through justice, authority, and righteousness
وبعدَّةٍand with resources للرأيfor counsel كالئةٍsafeguarding
وبعدَّةٍ للرأي كالئةٍ
للملكfor the realm لاnot بالجندwith troops والعددِand numbers
للملك لا بالجند والعددِ
and with a store of counsel that safeguards
With counsel fit for weighing matters
the realm—not with troops and numbers.
Not through soldiers and number
أنthat الممالكthe kingdoms منكthrough you ينظمهاputs them in order
أن الممالك منك ينظمها
سيفٌa sword ورمحٌand a spear فيin يديthe two hands of أسدa lion
سيفٌ ورمحٌ في يدي أسد
The kingdoms are ordered, through you, by
Kingdoms are set right by you
a sword and a spear in a lion's hands.
With sword and spear in the hand of a lion
الدولةthe state العلياthe exalted بكthrough you اعتضدتhas gained strength
الدولة العليا بك اعتضدت
ياO ساعداa forearm ماnot فتَّweakened بالعضدِin the upper arm
يا ساعدا ما فتَّ بالعضدِ
The exalted state has gained strength through you,
The supreme state is supported by you
O forearm that has never weakened the upper arm.
O mighty arm, unfailing in strength
ماnot زلتyou have ceased تطردyou drive off كلevery مغتشمoppressor
ما زلت تطرد كل مغتشم
باغرّwith a white-blazed steed أوor بأصمwith a solid spear مطردِstraight
باغرّ أو بأصم مطردِ
You have never ceased to drive off every oppressor
You keep expelling each usurper
with a white-blazed steed or a solid, straight spear.
With snarling mouth or casting out the deaf
المغنياتthose that enrich السمرthe tawny lances فيthrough سلبplunder
المغنيات السمر في سلب
والغانماتand those that win booty الخيلthe horses فيin طردِpursuit
والغانمات الخيل في طردِ
The tawny lances bring riches through plunder,
The dark-skinned singers you despoiled
and the horses win booty in pursuit.
The war mares you captured in raids
صنتyou guarded الثغورthe frontiers بكلwith every منصلتٍunsheathed blade
صنت الثغور بكل منصلتٍ
وغوارand the raids of كلevery مغاورraider جلدِhardy
وغوار كل مغاور جلدِ
You have guarded the frontiers with every unsheathed blade
You protected the frontiers with each sharpened blade
and the raids of every hardy warrior,
And the boldness of every bold warrior
وبجدّand with resolve صافيpure اللونthe hue ليسthere is not بهin it
وبجدّ صافي اللون ليس به
صدءrust لنهلfor drinking دمthe blood of العدوthe enemy صديthirsty
صدء لنهل دم العدو صدي
and with resolve [wording unclear], pure in hue, without
With pure white seriousness, in it no blemish
rust, thirsting to drink the enemy's blood.
Of the blood of enemies, clashing and echoing
قدindeed قلتI said للنفسto the soul أقصديmake your way تجديyou will find
قد قلت للنفس أقصدي تجدي
بابthe door of الوزيرthe minister لكلfor every مقتصدِpurposeful seeker
باب الوزير لكل مقتصدِ
I have said to my soul: 'Go, and you will find
I said to myself: Seek him, you will find
the minister's door open to every purposeful seeker.'
The vizier's door open to all who seek
أنيthat I مددتI stretched إلىtoward رجاكhope in you يديmy hand
أني مددت إلى رجاك يدي
ياO واليَgovernor of الإسلامIslam خذtake بيديby my hand
يا واليَ الإسلام خذ بيدي
I have stretched my hand toward hope in you;
I stretched my hands out beseeching you
O governor of Islam, take my hand.
O Guardian of Islam, take my hand
لكfor you فيamong الرعاياthe subjects طولlong reach بسطيدextension of a hand
لك في الرعايا طول بسطيد
طالتsurpassed ببسطby spreading العدلjustice كلّevery يدhand
طالت ببسط العدل كلّ يد
Among your subjects, yours is an outstretched hand of long reach,
Watch over the subjects, your eye uplifted
surpassing every hand by spreading justice.
Blinking from wakefulness and sleeplessness
ترعىwatches over الرعيةthe subjects منكfrom you عينan eye علاًexalted rank
ترعى الرعية منك عين علاً
مكحولةlined with kohl الأجفانthe eyelids بالسهدِwith sleeplessness
مكحولة الأجفان بالسهدِ
Your exalted eye watches over the subjects,
Your watchful eye forgot no one
its eyelids lined with the kohl of sleeplessness.
Whether near or far, all came under its care
لمdid not تكرَslumber عينُthe eye of علاكyour eminence عنaway from أحدanyone
لم تكرَ عينُ علاك عن أحد
إنif حلَّhe dwells فيin قربnearness وفيand in بُعدdistance
إن حلَّ في قرب وفي بُعد
Your exalted eye has neglected no one in sleep,
A body without a head, if it loses
whether he dwells near or far away.
Its protector, is like a head without a body
جسدٌa body بلاwithout رأسa head إذاif تركabandons الthe (continued)
جسدٌ بلا رأس إذا ترك ال
مظلومwronged person أوor رأسa head بلاwithout جسدِa body
مظلوم أو رأس بلا جسدِ
A body without a head, if one abandons the
Likewise, armor cannot protect a body
oppressed—or a head without a body.
If the armor lacks gems
وكذاكand likewise درعarmor لاnot تقيprotects بدناًa body
وكذاك درع لا تقي بدناً
فيهاwithin it تكنis درعاًarmor بلاwithout زردِmail rings
فيها تكن درعاً بلا زردِ
Likewise, armor that protects no body
By God, the month of Muharram, they treated as lawful
within it is armor without rings of mail.
The sanctity of the Eternal, the Self-Sufficient
للَهto God belongs شهرthe month of محرمMuharram فلقدfor indeed
للَه شهر محرم فلقد
فيهin it استحلّواthey deemed lawful حمرةredness الصمدthe Eternal Refuge
فيه استحلّوا حمرة الصمد
God's is the month of Muharram, for indeed
And on its tenth day, a band
in it they deemed lawful the Eternal Refuge's redness [wording unclear].
Slew the martyrs of Karbala together
واستgave solace بعاشرon the tenth يومهits day نفرٌa band of men
واست بعاشر يومه نفرٌ
شهداءthe martyrs of يومthe day of الطفal-Taff أواحدpeerless men
شهداء يوم الطف أواحد
On its tenth day, a band gave solace to
By it, they permitted forbidden bloodshed
the martyrs of the day of al-Taff—a peerless band.
Mindlessly, without law or punishment
فلقدfor indeed أباحhe permitted بهin it حرامَinviolable دمٍblood
فلقد أباح به حرامَ دمٍ
هدراwasted بلاwithout عقلٍblood-money ولاnor قودِretaliation
هدرا بلا عقلٍ ولا قودِ
For in it he permitted inviolable blood to be shed,
Until the vizier appointed guards for it
wasted, without blood-money or retaliation.
And God sees all with His watching
حتىuntil إذاwhen بعثdispatched الوزيرthe minister لهfor him
حتى إذا بعث الوزير له
رصداًa watcher وعينand the eye of اللَهGod بالرصدِon the watch
رصداً وعين اللَه بالرصدِ
Until, when the minister sent after him
So the punishment for a misdeed came quickly
a watcher—and God's eye keeps watch—
And saw the punishment before tomorrow
فتعجلتthen came swiftly لعمٍfor a blind-hearted man عقوبتهhis punishment
فتعجلت لعمٍ عقوبته
فرأتso it saw عقابthe punishment of اليومtoday قبلbefore غدِtomorrow
فرأت عقاب اليوم قبل غدِ
then the blind-hearted man's punishment came swiftly,
Oh how woeful! He overreached his hand
and today's retribution was seen before tomorrow.
He got what he got from his envy
ياAh بئسماhow evil is what قدindeed قدَّمتhas sent ahead يدهhis hand
يا بئسما قد قدَّمت يده
قدindeed نالhe suffered ماwhat قدindeed نالhe suffered منof كمدanguish
قد نال ما قد نال من كمد
Ah, how evil is what his hand has sent ahead!
For cursed envy called him
He has suffered what he has suffered of anguish.
And man is molded towards envy
فلقدfor indeed دعاهsummoned him لشقوةto misery حسدenvy
فلقد دعاه لشقوة حسد
والمرءand man مجبولinnately disposed علىto الحسدenvy
والمرء مجبول على الحسد
For envy summoned him to misery,
and man is by nature prone to envy.
Partial English translation: 50 of 52 Arabic lines translated.