بِي إِنْ عَزَزْتَ عَلَيَّ ذُلُّ

بِي إِنْ عَزَزْتَ عَلَيَّ ذُلُّ

وَلَكَ الرِّيَاسَةُ والمَحَلُّ

وَلَكَ الرِّيَاسَةُ والمَحَلُّ

Should you prevail over me, mine is humility;

If you strengthen power over me, though I'm humiliated,

And yours are authority and high station.

You possess leadership and high standing,

يَا ابْنَ الخَلاَئِفِ والغَطَارِفِ

يَا ابْنَ الخَلاَئِفِ والغَطَارِفِ

وَالأُلَى عَقَدُوا وَحَلُّوا

وَالأُلَى عَقَدُوا وَحَلُّوا

O son of caliphs and noble lords,

O son of caliphs and glory,

And of those who bound and loosed,

While the exalted tied and untied,

وَنَمَتْهُمُ العَلْيَاءُ مِنْ

وَنَمَتْهُمُ العَلْيَاءُ مِنْ

عَدْنَانَ وَالشَّرَفُ المُطِلُّ

عَدْنَانَ وَالشَّرَفُ المُطِلُّ

And lofty glory traced their descent from

And the lofty tree grew for them

Adnan, as did towering honor.

From Adnan, and the noble lineage flows,

بَيْنَ النُّبُوَّةِ وَالخِلاَفَةِ

بَيْنَ النُّبُوَّةِ وَالخِلاَفَةِ

حَلَّ مَجْدُهُمُ فَحَلُّوا

حَلَّ مَجْدُهُمُ فَحَلُّوا

Between prophethood and the caliphate

Between prophecy and the caliphate

Their glory dwelt, and there they dwelt.

Their glory settled, so they untied,

إِنْ كَانَ إِدْلاَلٌ بَدَا

إِنْ كَانَ إِدْلاَلٌ بَدَا

مِنِّي فَمِثْلي مَنْ يَدِلُّ

مِنِّي فَمِثْلي مَنْ يَدِلُّ

If any bold familiarity appeared

If any favor appeared

From me, one such as I may take such liberties.

From me, who is like me to favor?

آنَسْتَنِي وَغَدَوْتَ بِي

آنَسْتَنِي وَغَدَوْتَ بِي

جَذِلاً أُرَاحُ وَأَسْتَهِلُّ

جَذِلاً أُرَاحُ وَأَسْتَهِلُّ

You put me at ease and became, through me,

You made me intimate and then went out early with me

Joyful; I am refreshed and beam with delight.

As one diminished, to rest and relax,

وَتُقِلُّ مِنْ حَالِي وَأَنْتَ

وَتُقِلُّ مِنْ حَالِي وَأَنْتَ

لِذَاكَ نَاسٍ مُسْتَقِلُّ

لِذَاكَ نَاسٍ مُسْتَقِلُّ

And you make little of my condition, while you

And you disparaged my state while you

Are forgetful of that, deeming it slight.

Are to some people self-sufficient,

وَمَدَدْتُ ظِلاً مِنْ ذُرَاكَ

وَمَدَدْتُ ظِلاً مِنْ ذُرَاكَ

عَلَيَّ وَالإِحْسَانُ ظِلُّ

عَلَيَّ وَالإِحْسَانُ ظِلُّ

And I spread shade from your heights

And I extended a shade from your sunlight upon me

Over me—and kindness is shade.

While kindness is shade,

وَبَسَطْتَ خُلْقَاً لاَ يُعَابُ

وَبَسَطْتَ خُلْقَاً لاَ يُعَابُ

وَلاَ يُذَمُّ وَلاَ يُمَلُّ

وَلاَ يُذَمُّ وَلاَ يُمَلُّ

And you displayed a character that cannot be faulted,

And you have an admirable character that

Nor blamed, nor found wearisome.

Cannot be blamed or found tedious,

فَهَفَوْتُ هَفْوَةَ غَلْطَةٍ

فَهَفَوْتُ هَفْوَةَ غَلْطَةٍ

وَالحُرُّ يَهْفُو أَوْ يَزِلُّ

وَالحُرُّ يَهْفُو أَوْ يَزِلُّ

So I slipped—a mistaken lapse;

So I swooned in a swoon of error

And a noble man may falter or slip.

And the free swoons or stumbles,

والصًّارِمُ العَضْبُ المُهَنَّدُ

والصًّارِمُ العَضْبُ المُهَنَّدُ

فِيْهِ آثَارٌ وَفَلُّ

فِيْهِ آثَارٌ وَفَلُّ

And the keen, sharp-edged sword of Indian steel

With the cutting blade anger pierces

Bears marks and nicks.

In which there are effects and declines,

والطِّرْفُ يَعْثُرُ ثُمَّ

والطِّرْفُ يَعْثُرُ ثُمَّ

يُدْرِكُهُ النَّجَاءُ فَيَسْتَقِلُّ

يُدْرِكُهُ النَّجَاءُ فَيَسْتَقِلُّ

And the noble steed stumbles, then

And the glance stumbles then

Swiftness overtakes it, and it rises again.

Salvation reaches it, so it straightens,

وَهَمَمْتُ عَنْكَ بِنَبْوَةٍ

وَهَمَمْتُ عَنْكَ بِنَبْوَةٍ

فَطَفِقْتُ عَنْ رُشْدِي أَضِلُّ

فَطَفِقْتُ عَنْ رُشْدِي أَضِلُّ

And I thought of withdrawing from you,

And I thought of turning away from you in prophecy

So I began to stray from my sound judgment.

So I began to stray from my rectitude,

وَذَكَرْتُ مَا أَوْلَيْتَنِي

وَذَكَرْتُ مَا أَوْلَيْتَنِي

فَظَلِلْتُ مِنْ عَزْمِي أَحُلُّ

فَظَلِلْتُ مِنْ عَزْمِي أَحُلُّ

And I remembered what you had bestowed on me,

And I remembered what you made me accustomed to

So I kept loosening my resolve.

So I lingered in my determination, confused,

فَرَجَعْتُ رَجْعَةَ شَاكِرٍ

فَرَجَعْتُ رَجْعَةَ شَاكِرٍ

بِحُقُوقِ وَدِّكَ لاَ يُخِلُّ

بِحُقُوقِ وَدِّكَ لاَ يُخِلُّ

So I returned with a grateful man's return,

Then I returned the return of a grateful one

Who neglects none of the claims of your affection.

By your dues of affection that does not fail,

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ فِرَاقَ مِثْلِكَ

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ فِرَاقَ مِثْلِكَ

لاَ يَجُوزُ وَلا يَحِلُّ

لاَ يَجُوزُ وَلا يَحِلُّ

And I knew that parting from one like you

And I knew that separation from your like

Is neither permissible nor lawful.

Is not proper or permitted.