آخِرُ ما المَلكُ مُعَزّى بِهِ

آخِرُ ما المَلكُ مُعَزّى بِهِ

هَذا الَّذي أَثَّرَ في قَلبِهِ

هَذا الَّذي أَثَّرَ في قَلبِهِ

May the last thing for which the king is consoled

Let this be the final sorrow the King must bear,

be this that has left its mark upon his heart.

This grief which has carved its mark upon his heart;

لا جَزَعاً بَل أَنَفاً شابَهُ

لا جَزَعاً بَل أَنَفاً شابَهُ

أَن يَقدِرَ الدَهرُ عَلى غَصبِهِ

أَن يَقدِرَ الدَهرُ عَلى غَصبِهِ

Not grief, but proud indignation touched him:

Not borne of weakness, but of a proud disdain

that Time should have the power to rob him.

That Fate presumed the power to usurp his own.

لَو دَرَتِ الدُنيا بِما عِندَهُ

لَو دَرَتِ الدُنيا بِما عِندَهُ

لَاِستَحيَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن عَتبِهِ

لَاِستَحيَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن عَتبِهِ

Had the world known what lies within him,

If the world but knew the resolve he holds inside,

the days would blush at his reproach.

The very days would shrink in shame from his rebuke.

لَعَلَّها تَحسَبُ أَنَّ الَّذي

لَعَلَّها تَحسَبُ أَنَّ الَّذي

لَيسَ لَدَيهِ لَيسَ مِن حِزبِهِ

لَيسَ لَدَيهِ لَيسَ مِن حِزبِهِ

Perhaps it thinks that whoever

Perhaps the world supposes that the one who lies

is not beside him is not of his party;

Beyond his presence is no longer of his fold;

وَأَنَّ مَن بَغدادُ دارٌ لَهُ

وَأَنَّ مَن بَغدادُ دارٌ لَهُ

لَيسَ مُقيماً في ذَرى عَضبِهِ

لَيسَ مُقيماً في ذَرى عَضبِهِ

and that one whose home is Baghdad

And that he who claims Baghdad as his home

does not dwell in the shelter of his keen blade;

Dwells not within the shelter of his striking blade;

وَأَنَّ جَدَّ المَرءِ أَوطانُهُ

وَأَنَّ جَدَّ المَرءِ أَوطانُهُ

مَن لَيسَ مِنها لَيسَ مِن صُلبِهِ

مَن لَيسَ مِنها لَيسَ مِن صُلبِهِ

and that a man's homelands are his grandsire:

And that a man’s fortune defines his native lands,

whoever is not from them is not sprung from his loins.

And he who is not of them is not of his kin.

أَخافُ أَن تَفطُنَ أَعداؤُهُ

أَخافُ أَن تَفطُنَ أَعداؤُهُ

فَيُجفِلوا خَوفاً إِلى قُربِهِ

فَيُجفِلوا خَوفاً إِلى قُربِهِ

I fear his enemies may realize this

I fear lest his enemies might come to realize,

and flee in terror to his side.

And flee in terror to seek refuge at his side.

لا بُدَّ لِلإِنسانِ مِن ضَجعَةٍ

لا بُدَّ لِلإِنسانِ مِن ضَجعَةٍ

لا تَقلِبُ المُضجَعَ عَن جَنبِهِ

لا تَقلِبُ المُضجَعَ عَن جَنبِهِ

Every man must have a final repose

Mankind must surely face that final lying down,

that never turns the sleeper from his side.

A slumber where the sleeper turns not from his side,

يَنسى بِها ما كانَ مِن عُجبِهِ

يَنسى بِها ما كانَ مِن عُجبِهِ

وَما أَذاقَ المَوتُ مِن كَربِهِ

وَما أَذاقَ المَوتُ مِن كَربِهِ

In it he forgets his former conceit,

Wherein he forgets all that was once his vanity,

and the anguish death made him taste.

And all the anguish that death forced him to taste.

نَحنُ بَنو المَوتى فَما بالُنا

نَحنُ بَنو المَوتى فَما بالُنا

نَعافُ مالا بُدَّ مِن شُربِهِ

نَعافُ مالا بُدَّ مِن شُربِهِ

We are the sons of the dead; why, then,

We are the children of the dead; why then do we

do we shrink from what we must drink?

Loathe the bitter cup that we must surely drink?

تَبخَلُ أَيدينا بِأَرواحِنا

تَبخَلُ أَيدينا بِأَرواحِنا

عَلى زَمانٍ هِيَ مِن كَسبِهِ

عَلى زَمانٍ هِيَ مِن كَسبِهِ

Our hands begrudge our souls

Our hands cling miserly to our fleeting souls,

to Time, though they are its own earnings.

Guarding against Time that which is Time’s own gain.

فَهَذِهِ الأَرواحُ مِن جَوِّهِ

فَهَذِهِ الأَرواحُ مِن جَوِّهِ

وَهَذِهِ الأَجسامُ مِن تُربِهِ

وَهَذِهِ الأَجسامُ مِن تُربِهِ

For these souls are from its air,

For these very souls are drawn from its vast air,

and these bodies are from its dust.

And these our bodies fashioned from its dusty soil.

لَو فَكَّرَ العاشِقُ في مُنتَهى

لَو فَكَّرَ العاشِقُ في مُنتَهى

حُسنِ الَّذي يَسبيهِ لَم يَسبِهِ

حُسنِ الَّذي يَسبيهِ لَم يَسبِهِ

If the lover pondered the final end

If the lover reflected on the ultimate end

of his captor's beauty, it would not captivate him.

Of the beauty that enslaves him, he would not be enslaved.

لَم يُرَ قَرنُ الشَمسِ في شَرقِهِ

لَم يُرَ قَرنُ الشَمسِ في شَرقِهِ

فَشَكَّتِ الأَنفُسُ في غَربِهِ

فَشَكَّتِ الأَنفُسُ في غَربِهِ

Never has the sun's rim been seen rising

The sun’s bright horn is never seen rising in the east,

only for souls to doubt its setting.

Without the soul suspecting its eventual set.

يَموتُ راعي الضَأنِ في جَهلِهِ

يَموتُ راعي الضَأنِ في جَهلِهِ

مَوتَةَ جالينوسَ في طِبِّهِ

مَوتَةَ جالينوسَ في طِبِّهِ

The shepherd dies in his ignorance

The shepherd of the sheep dies amidst his ignorance,

the death of Galen, for all his medical skill.

Just as Galen dies amidst his medical art.

وَرُبَّما زادَ عَلى عُمرِهِ

وَرُبَّما زادَ عَلى عُمرِهِ

وَزادَ في الأَمنِ عَلى سِربِهِ

وَزادَ في الأَمنِ عَلى سِربِهِ

And he may even outlive him,

And perchance the shepherd outlives the sage in years,

and surpass him in freedom from fear.

And surpasses him in the safety of his flock.

وَغايَةُ المُفرِطِ في سِلمِهِ

وَغايَةُ المُفرِطِ في سِلمِهِ

كَغايَةِ المُفرِطِ في حَربِهِ

كَغايَةِ المُفرِطِ في حَربِهِ

And the end of one most given to peace

The fate of one who strives too hard for peace

is like the end of one most given to war.

Is as the fate of him who strives too hard in war.

فَلا قَضى حاجَتَهُ طالِبٌ

فَلا قَضى حاجَتَهُ طالِبٌ

فُؤادُهُ يَخفِقُ مِن رُعبِهِ

فُؤادُهُ يَخفِقُ مِن رُعبِهِ

So may no seeker achieve his desire

No seeker attains the object of his desire

whose heart pounds with terror.

While his heart is trembling with the pulse of fear.

أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ لِشَخصٍ مَضى

أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ لِشَخصٍ مَضى

كانَ نَداهُ مُنتَهى ذَنبِهِ

كانَ نَداهُ مُنتَهى ذَنبِهِ

I ask God's forgiveness for one who has passed,

I ask God’s pardon for a soul that has passed on,

whose generosity was his greatest sin.

Whose only sin lay in the excess of bounty;

وَكانَ مَن عَدَّدَ إِحسانَهُ

وَكانَ مَن عَدَّدَ إِحسانَهُ

كَأَنَّهُ أَفرَطَ في سَبِّهِ

كَأَنَّهُ أَفرَطَ في سَبِّهِ

And whoever counted his acts of kindness

And whoever recounts the virtues of that soul

was as though he had reviled him to excess.

Seems almost to insult by the faintness of praise.

يُريدُ مِن حُبِّ العُلى عَيشَهُ

يُريدُ مِن حُبِّ العُلى عَيشَهُ

وَلا يُريدُ العَيشَ مِن حُبِّهِ

وَلا يُريدُ العَيشَ مِن حُبِّهِ

He desires life out of love for the heights,

Through love of glory, that soul desired life,

not out of love for life itself.

Yet desired not life for the mere sake of living.

يَحسَبُهُ دافِنُهُ وَحدَهُ

يَحسَبُهُ دافِنُهُ وَحدَهُ

وَمَجدُهُ في القَبرِ مِن صَحبِهِ

وَمَجدُهُ في القَبرِ مِن صَحبِهِ

His burier thinks him alone,

The one who buries imagines the body lies alone,

yet his glory keeps him company in the grave.

Yet Glory is its companion within the grave.

وَيُظهَرُ التَذكيرُ في ذِكرِهِ

وَيُظهَرُ التَذكيرُ في ذِكرِهِ

وَيُستَرُ التَأنيثُ في حُجبِهِ

وَيُستَرُ التَأنيثُ في حُجبِهِ

Masculine gender is shown in speaking of him,

The masculine form is used to honor her name,

while femininity is hidden behind his veils.

While the feminine is veiled within her shroud.

أُختُ أَبي خَيرٍ أَميرٍ دَعا

أُختُ أَبي خَيرٍ أَميرٍ دَعا

فَقالَ جَيشٌ لِلقَنا لَبِّهِ

فَقالَ جَيشٌ لِلقَنا لَبِّهِ

The sister of Abu Khayr, a prince who called,

Sister of the father of the finest Prince who called,

and an army told the spears, 'Answer him!'

And an army answered the spears, saying: 'We obey.'

يا عَضُدَ الدَولَةِ مَن رُكنُها

يا عَضُدَ الدَولَةِ مَن رُكنُها

أَبوهُ وَالقَلبُ أَبو لُبِّهِ

أَبوهُ وَالقَلبُ أَبو لُبِّهِ

O Adud al-Dawla, you whose state's pillar

O Adud al-Dawla, pillar of the State’s domain,

is your father—and the heart is father to its core;

Whose father is its foundation, as the heart to the core;

وَمَن بَنوهُ زَينُ آبائِهِ

وَمَن بَنوهُ زَينُ آبائِهِ

كَأَنَّها النورُ عَلى قُضبِهِ

كَأَنَّها النورُ عَلى قُضبِهِ

and you whose sons adorn your forefathers,

And whose sons are the adornment of their sires,

like blossoms upon their branches.

Shining like light upon the tempered blades.

فَخراً لِدَهرٍ أَنتَ مِن أَهلِهِ

فَخراً لِدَهرٍ أَنتَ مِن أَهلِهِ

وَمُنجِبٍ أَصبَحتَ مِن عَقبِهِ

وَمُنجِبٍ أَصبَحتَ مِن عَقبِهِ

Glory to an age that counts you among its people,

Glory be to the Age that counts you among its own,

and to the noble sire whose offspring you are.

And to the ancestor whose lineage bore your name.

إِنَّ الأَسى القِرنُ فَلا تُحيِهِ

إِنَّ الأَسى القِرنُ فَلا تُحيِهِ

وَسَيفُكَ الصَبرُ فَلا تُنبِهِ

وَسَيفُكَ الصَبرُ فَلا تُنبِهِ

Grief is the adversary, so do not revive it;

Sorrow is a peerless foe; do not give it life,

and patience is your sword, so do not blunt it.

And patience is your sword; do not let it dull.

ما كانَ عِندي أَنَّ بَدرَ الدُجى

ما كانَ عِندي أَنَّ بَدرَ الدُجى

يوحِشُهُ المَفقودُ مِن شُهبِهِ

يوحِشُهُ المَفقودُ مِن شُهبِهِ

I never thought that the full moon of darkness

I never thought the full moon of the dark night

could be made lonely by one missing star of its own.

Could be dismayed by the loss of a single star.

حاشاكَ أَن تَضعُفَ عَن حَملِ ما

حاشاكَ أَن تَضعُفَ عَن حَملِ ما

تَحَمَّلَ السائِرُ في كُتبِهِ

تَحَمَّلَ السائِرُ في كُتبِهِ

Far be it from you to be too weak to bear what

Far be it from you to weaken under a burden

the courier bore in his letters.

That the traveler Destiny carries in his scrolls.

وَقَد حَمَلتَ الثِقلَ مِن قَبلِهِ

وَقَد حَمَلتَ الثِقلَ مِن قَبلِهِ

فَأَغنَتِ الشِدَّةُ عَن سَحبِهِ

فَأَغنَتِ الشِدَّةُ عَن سَحبِهِ

And you have borne the burden before this;

For you have borne great weights before this grief,

so strength made dragging it unnecessary.

And your strength sufficed to lift what could not be dragged.

يَدخُلُ صَبرُ المَرءِ في مَدحِهِ

يَدخُلُ صَبرُ المَرءِ في مَدحِهِ

وَيَدخُلُ الإِشفاقُ في ثَلبِهِ

وَيَدخُلُ الإِشفاقُ في ثَلبِهِ

A man's patience counts toward his praise,

A man’s patience is reckoned part of his praise,

and fearful anxiety counts toward his blame.

While pity invites a blemish on his name.

مِثلُكَ يَثني الحُزنَ عَن صَوبِهِ

مِثلُكَ يَثني الحُزنَ عَن صَوبِهِ

وَيَستَرِدُّ الدَمعَ عَن غَربِهِ

وَيَستَرِدُّ الدَمعَ عَن غَربِهِ

One like you turns sorrow from its course

One such as you diverts sorrow from its course,

and draws tears back from their outpouring,

And commands the tear back from its flowing path,

إيما لِإِبقاءٍ عَلى فَضلِهِ

إيما لِإِبقاءٍ عَلى فَضلِهِ

إيما لِتَسليمٍ إِلى رَبِّهِ

إيما لِتَسليمٍ إِلى رَبِّهِ

either to preserve his excellence,

Either to preserve the virtue of his rank,

or in submission to his Lord.

Or in submission to the will of his Lord.

وَلَم أَقُل مِثلُكَ أَعني بِهِ

وَلَم أَقُل مِثلُكَ أَعني بِهِ

سِواكَ يا فَرداً بِلا مُشبِهِ

سِواكَ يا فَرداً بِلا مُشبِهِ

And by saying 'one like you,' I did not mean

And when I said 'one such as you,' I meant

anyone but you, O unique one without a peer.

None but you, O unique one without peer.