رَعى اللَهُ مَلِكاً ما رَمَتني بِرَبعِهِ

رَعى اللَهُ مَلِكاً ما رَمَتني بِرَبعِهِ

مَرامي النَوى إِلّا بَلَغتُ مَرامِيا

مَرامي النَوى إِلّا بَلَغتُ مَرامِيا

May God protect a king: never was I cast into his abode

May God protect a king who never shot me with his bow

By the darts of separation without attaining my aim.

Though my aspirations aimed but always met their goal

فَتىً رَبَّني بِالمَكرُماتِ وَبَرَّني

فَتىً رَبَّني بِالمَكرُماتِ وَبَرَّني

وَأَصلَحَ ما بَيني وَبَينَ زَمانِيا

وَأَصلَحَ ما بَيني وَبَينَ زَمانِيا

A youth who nurtured me with generous favors and was kind to me,

A young man who raised me with kindness and educated me

And set right what lay between me and my times.

And reconciled what was between me and my time

وَكَم حاجَةٍ حاوَلتُها مِن جَنابِهِ

وَكَم حاجَةٍ حاوَلتُها مِن جَنابِهِ

وَأَلحَقتُ في قَولي لَهُ وَخِطابِيا

وَأَلحَقتُ في قَولي لَهُ وَخِطابِيا

And many a need I sought to have fulfilled at his court,

And how many needs I have tried from his side

And added more in my speech and my address to him.

And added in my words to him and my address

فَلَم يَلقَ إِلحاحي بِحُبٍّ وَإِنَّما

فَلَم يَلقَ إِلحاحي بِحُبٍّ وَإِنَّما

أَجادَ التَغاضي إِذ أَسَأتُ التَقاضِيا

أَجادَ التَغاضي إِذ أَسَأتُ التَقاضِيا

He did not meet my insistence with love; rather,

Yet he did not meet my persistence with love, but rather

He excelled at overlooking it when I erred in pressing my claims.

Excelled in ignoring when I made bad requests