إِذاif كانَis تَأخيريkeeping me back عَنbehind الناسthe people واجباًnecessary
إِذا كانَ تَأخيري عَن الناس واجباً
بِرَأيكin your opinion ياO مَولايmy lord فَالرَأيthen the opinion صائبُsound
بِرَأيك يا مَولاي فَالرَأي صائبُ
If keeping me behind others is necessary
If my delay from people is a duty
in your view, my lord, then that view is sound.
In your opinion, my Master, the opinion is right
وَإِلّاand if not فعجِّلthen hasten ياO أَميريmy prince بِماwith what تَرىyou see fit
وَإِلّا فعجِّل يا أَميري بِما تَرى
لَعَليَperhaps I أَحظىmay be favored بِالَّذيwith that which أَناI طالبseek
لَعَليَ أَحظى بِالَّذي أَنا طالب
Otherwise, my prince, hasten with what you see fit,
Otherwise, hasten, my Prince, with what you see
in hope that I may gain what I seek.
Perhaps I will attain what I seek
فَماfor … not أَناI دُونinferior to الغَيرothers فيماin what عَرفتهI have learned it
فَما أَنا دُون الغَير فيما عَرفته
وَلاand not أَناI فيماin what أَدّعيI claim قَطُّever كاذبlying
وَلا أَنا فيما أَدّعي قَطُّ كاذب
For I am not inferior to others in what I have learned,
For I am not inferior to others in what I know
nor am I ever lying in what I claim.
Nor am I, in what I claim, ever a liar
وَلاand not أَنتَyou مُحتاجٌin need إِلىof فهمunderstanding قصتيmy story
وَلا أَنتَ مُحتاجٌ إِلى فهم قصتي
فَأَشرَحَهاso I might explain it فيin العَرضthe petition وَهيَand it is عَجائبmarvels
فَأَشرَحَها في العَرض وَهيَ عَجائب
Nor do you need my story clarified
Nor do you need to understand my story
by my explaining it in the petition, full of marvels as it is.
To explain it in speech, and it is wonders
فَباللهso, by God إِلّاexcept (introducing a plea) ماan emphatic particle وَفيتyou fulfilled بِمَوعدa promise
فَبالله إِلّا ما وَفيت بِمَوعد
كَريمgenerous لَهُfor it مِنكَfrom you الفَقيرthe poor man يُراقبkeeps watch
كَريم لَهُ مِنكَ الفَقير يُراقب
So, by God, do fulfill a promise—
So by Allah, unless I fulfill the generous promise
a generous one from you, for which this poor man waits.
A poor one for it from you is watching