رقي في عَهد صَدر ملك

رقي في عَهد صَدر ملك

صَديق فاقَ في عمل وَعلمِ

صَديق فاقَ في عمل وَعلمِ

In the days of a king's chief minister, there rose

He ascended in the era of a king's rule

a friend who excelled in work and learning.

A friend who surpassed in deed and knowledge

وَفازَ بقصده رغم الأَعادي

وَفازَ بقصده رغم الأَعادي

بِرأيٍ صائبٍ وَمزيد فهم

بِرأيٍ صائبٍ وَمزيد فهم

And he achieved his aim despite his enemies,

And attained his goal despite the enemies

with sound judgment and greater understanding.

With sound opinion and more understanding

وَأَبدَع مِن قَريحته نِظاماً

وَأَبدَع مِن قَريحته نِظاماً

وَتَرتيباً بَدا كعقود نَظم

وَتَرتيباً بَدا كعقود نَظم

And from his creative gift he devised a system,

And created from his talent a system

and an arrangement that appeared like necklaces of verse.

And an arrangement that seemed like poetry's composition

وَلما ساءَنا مِن غَير قَصد

وَلما ساءَنا مِن غَير قَصد

كَما طَلببشرّ حكم

كَما طَلببشرّ حكم

And when he distressed us without intending to,

And when it went bad for us without intention

as he sought through an evil ruling,

As humanity seeks reasoning

وَصرنا في الدِيار كَما تَرانا

وَصرنا في الدِيار كَما تَرانا

بِلا شَرَف وَلا اسم وَرَسم

بِلا شَرَف وَلا اسم وَرَسم

and we became in the land, as you see us,

And we became in the homes as you see

without honor, without name or trace,

Without dignity, name or mark

شَكَت مِنا النُفوس وَأَرَّخته

شَكَت مِنا النُفوس وَأَرَّخته

رقىفي شَهر هم

رقىفي شَهر هم

the souls complained of us, and I recorded its date:

The souls complained of it and recorded it

“He rose in a month of distress.”

He ascended in the month of anxiety