مولاي عبدك قد رماه زمانه

بمصيبةٍ منها غدا يشكو الوصبْ

My lord, time has struck your servant

with an affliction that has left him lamenting pain.

نزلت بجانبه اليمين فسكَّنت

بنزولها حركات آلات العصبْ

It descended upon his right side and stilled,

with its onset, the movements of his nerve-controlled organs.

وغدا طريحاً في الفراش مكّسحاً

لا يستطيع بان يقوم على الركبْ

And he has become prostrate in bed, crippled,

unable to rise upon his knees.

يشكو انعقالاً في العروق ممكّناً

إذ كل عرقٍ منه مشتد الطنبْ

He complains of a deep-seated stiffness in his sinews,

for every sinew in him is drawn taut as a tent-rope.

وطروق هذا الخطب احرم عبدكم

لثم البنان ونيل هذا المرتقبْ

And the onset of this calamity has deprived your servant

of kissing your fingertips and attaining this longed-for honor.

فلذاك قد بادرت هذا اليوم يا

مولاي اعرض شرح حالي والسببْ

For that reason I have hastened this day, O

my lord, to present an account of my condition and its cause,

وبأنني ملقىً على مهد الضنا

متوجعاً متالماً شاكي النوبْ

and of how I lie cast upon the cradle of wasting sickness,

aching, suffering, lamenting calamities.

واذمّ دهراً ليس فيه للفتى

الاّ الشقا ثم العنا ثم التعبْ

And I condemn an age in which a man finds nothing

but misery, then hardship, then weariness,

والضيم والضنك الشديد مع الاسى

والغمّ والهم المزيد مع الكرب

and oppression and severe hardship, together with sorrow,

and grief and mounting worry, together with anguish.

وأصيح من ألم المصيبة منشداً

نحو الشهابيّ الذي عني احتجب

And I cry out from the pain of this affliction, reciting

toward al-Shihabi, who is veiled from me:

يفديك يا حسن المحامد والثنا

بالروح عبدٌ من صباه لك انتسبْ

He would ransom you, O you of noble virtues and praise,

with his soul—a servant devoted to you since his youth.

باق على سرد الدعا أبداً لكم

إذ أنه فرضٌ عليه قد وجبْ

He persists in reciting prayers for you forever,

for it is a duty that has become binding upon him,

ولأن فيض عميم بحر سماحكم

لا زال متصلاً إليه بلا طلبْ

and because the abundant overflow of the sea of your generosity

continues to reach him without a request.

وأسلم ودم يا نخبة الأمراء في

عزٍ ومجدٍ دام ناج من عطبْ

And be safe and endure, O choicest of princes, in

honor and lasting glory, safe from ruin.

وفروعك الأشبال لا برحت معا

ليها تزاد وترتقى أسمى الرتبْ

And may your offspring, the lion cubs, ever have their glories

increased, and ascend to the loftiest ranks.

وترى فروع فروعكم وجنابكم

برغيد عيش لا يخامره ريبْ

And may you see your offspring’s offspring, while your noble self

enjoys a life of ease untroubled by uncertainty.