إِلَيكَto you صَلاحُSalah (righteousness) الدينِal-Din (of the faith) مَولايَmy lord أَشتَكيI complain
إِلَيكَ صَلاحُ الدينِ مَولايَ أَشتَكي
زَماناًan age عَلىagainst الحُرِّthe freeborn man الكَريمِthe noble يَجورُacts unjustly
زَماناً عَلى الحُرِّ الكَريمِ يَجورُ
To you, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn, my lord, I bring my grievance:
To you, Salah al-Din, my lord, I complain
an age that oppresses the noble and free.
of an age that wrongs the noble, freeborn man.
تُرىI wonder أُبصِرُI see الأَلفَthe thousand الَّتيwhich كُنتَyou were واعِديpromising me
تُرى أُبصِرُ الأَلفَ الَّتي كُنتَ واعِدي
بِهاof it فيin يَديmy hand قَبلَbefore المَماتِdeath تَصيرُcomes to be
بِها في يَدي قَبلَ المَماتِ تَصيرُ
Do you think I shall see the thousand you promised me
Will I, I wonder, see the thousand you promised me
come into my hand before I die?
come into my hand before death?
وَهَيهاتَand how far off! وَالإِفرِنجُand the Franks بَينِbetween me وَبَينَكُمand between you
وَهَيهاتَ وَالإِفرِنجُ بَينِ وَبَينَكُم
سِياجُa fence قَتيلٍa slain man دونَهُbefore it وَأَسيرُand a captive
سِياجُ قَتيلٍ دونَهُ وَأَسيرُ
How unlikely—when the Franks, between me and you,
Yet how far off! The Franks stand between me and you,
are a barrier, before which men are slain or captured.
a fence, with a slain man and a captive before it.
وَمِنand among عَجَبِthe wonders الأَيّامِof the days أَنَّكَthat you ذوpossessed of غِنىًwealth
وَمِن عَجَبِ الأَيّامِ أَنَّكَ ذو غِنىً
بِمِصرَin Egypt وَأَنّيand I فيin دِمَشقَDamascus فَقيرُpoor
بِمِصرَ وَأَنّي في دِمَشقَ فَقيرُ
Among the wonders of the times is that you are wealthy
And among the wonders of the days is that you are rich
in Egypt, while I am poor in Damascus.
in Egypt, while I am poor in Damascus.
