إنْ قَطَعتْني عِلّتِي عن قصدي

إنْ قَطَعتْني عِلّتِي عن قصدي

وصدّني الزّمانُ أيَّ صَدِّ

وصدّني الزّمانُ أيَّ صَدِّ

If my illness has kept me from my purpose,

If my illness cuts me off from my goal

And time has utterly barred me

And time blocks me from any path

عن مِشيتي وَخَبَبِي وشدِّي

عن مِشيتي وَخَبَبِي وشدِّي

فإنّني لحاضرٌ بِوُدِّي

فإنّني لحاضرٌ بِوُدِّي

From walking, trotting, and running,

From my walk, my misstep, and my resolve

Yet I am surely present in my affection,

Then know I'm still present with my love

وبوفائي وبحسنِ عهدِي

وبوفائي وبحسنِ عهدِي

سِيّانِ قربي معه وبُعدِي

سِيّانِ قربي معه وبُعدِي

And in my loyalty and my faithful pledge;

And my loyalty and keeping my vow

My nearness to him and my distance are alike.

It's all the same, my closeness or my distance

قلْ لعميدِ الدّولةِ الأشدِّ

قلْ لعميدِ الدّولةِ الأشدِّ

وَالمُعتلِي في هضباتِ المجدِ

وَالمُعتلِي في هضباتِ المجدِ

Say to ʿAmīd al-Dawla, the mightiest,

Say to the pillar of the mighty state

And who rises upon the heights of glory,

Who ascends the heights of glory

والمشتري الغالي مدىً من حمدِ

والمشتري الغالي مدىً من حمدِ

من مالِهِ وجاهِهِ بالنّقْدِ

من مالِهِ وجاهِهِ بالنّقْدِ

And who buys a costly measure of praise

And buys a long span of praise

With his wealth and influence, paying outright,

With his wealth and status in ready money

مُمضي عَطاياه بِغير وَعْدِ

مُمضي عَطاياه بِغير وَعْدِ

كم لك من بحر فخارٍ عدِّ

كم لك من بحر فخارٍ عدِّ

Who bestows his gifts without promises:

Dispensing his gifts without promises

How many inexhaustible seas of glory are yours,

You have so many seas of pride, count them!

يفوت إحصائي ويُعيي عَدِّي

يفوت إحصائي ويُعيي عَدِّي

حوشيتَ من مكرِ اللّيالي النُّكْدِ

حوشيتَ من مكرِ اللّيالي النُّكْدِ

Outstripping my reckoning and defeating my count!

Too many for me to count or enumerate

May you be spared the guile of ill-omened nights,

You've been spared the cunning of gloomy nights

ومن خصامِ النائباتِ اللُّدِّ

ومن خصامِ النائباتِ اللُّدِّ

قد زارك الحولُ بكلِّ سَعدِ

قد زارك الحولُ بكلِّ سَعدِ

And the hostility of implacable calamities.

And the quarreling of harming fortunes

The year has indeed visited you with every good fortune,

The year has come to you with all its joys

وبالبقاءِ الواسعِ الممتدِّ

وبالبقاءِ الواسعِ الممتدِّ

فَاِجرُرْ بهِ ما شئته من بُرْدِ

فَاِجرُرْ بهِ ما شئته من بُرْدِ

And with ample, long-enduring life.

And with lasting, expansive survival

So trail in it whatever mantle you please,

So draw from it what cooled drink you desire

فوتَ الرّدى ممتّعاً بالخُلدِ

فوتَ الرّدى ممتّعاً بالخُلدِ

ثِقْ بِالإِلهِ المُتعالي الفَرْدِ

ثِقْ بِالإِلهِ المُتعالي الفَرْدِ

Beyond death's reach, granted the joy of immortality.

Missing decay, enjoying eternity

Trust in God, the Most High, the One,

Trust in God, the Exalted, the Unique

وَلا تَخفْ في مطلبٍ من ردِّ

وَلا تَخفْ في مطلبٍ من ردِّ

ما لبنِي عبد الرّحيم الأُسدِ

ما لبنِي عبد الرّحيم الأُسدِ

And fear no rebuff in any quest.

Don't fear any refusal of your wants

The sons of ʿAbd al-Raḥīm, those lions, have no

The sons of Abdel Rahim the Lion

من مُشبهٍ في سؤددٍ ومجدِ

من مُشبهٍ في سؤددٍ ومجدِ

خيرِ كهولٍ في الورى ومُرْدِ

خيرِ كهولٍ في الورى ومُرْدِ

Peer in nobility and glory,

Have no match in valor and glory

The best of mature men and beardless youths among humankind,

The best elders in the world and champions

وخير حرٍّ بيننا وعبدِ

وخير حرٍّ بيننا وعبدِ

فيهم هوى حَلّي وفيهمْ عَقدِي

فيهم هوى حَلّي وفيهمْ عَقدِي

And the best of free men and slaves among us.

The best freemen among us and servants

My love is theirs in all I loose, and theirs in all I bind.

In them lies my passion and my bond

إنْ ركبوا يوماً لداءٍ معدِ

إنْ ركبوا يوماً لداءٍ معدِ

رأيتَ جُرداً فوق خيلٍ جُردِ

رأيتَ جُرداً فوق خيلٍ جُردِ

If one day they ride out against a contagious ill,

If one day they ride out against disease

You would see smooth-skinned men upon sleek steeds.

You'll see bare steeds on bare steeds

متى أكن فيهمْ معيناً وحدِي

متى أكن فيهمْ معيناً وحدِي

فلنْ ينالوا للعدى بحَشْدِ

فلنْ ينالوا للعدى بحَشْدِ

Whenever I alone am among them as a helper,

Whenever I'm their sole aid and support

Then no massed enemy host will reach them;

They'll not attain the enemy with hordes

ولا يجِدّون لديهمْ جِدِّي

ولا يجِدّون لديهمْ جِدِّي

غيرُ كلامي فيهمُ لا يُجدِي

غيرُ كلامي فيهمُ لا يُجدِي

Nor do they strive for them with my zeal.

Nor find against them my zeal wanting

Words other than mine about them are of no avail,

My words about them do not avail

وكلُّ زندٍ غير زندي يُكدِي

وكلُّ زندٍ غير زندي يُكدِي

ما مسّهمْ فهْوَ إليَّ يُعدِي

ما مسّهمْ فهْوَ إليَّ يُعدِي

And every firestick but mine fails to spark.

And any arm but mine brings woe

Whatever touches them spreads to me,

What touches them reaches me

وما فَراهمْ فهْوَ فارٍ جِلدي

وما فَراهمْ فهْوَ فارٍ جِلدي

ما لَهمُ واللَّه مِثلي بَعدِي

ما لَهمُ واللَّه مِثلي بَعدِي

And whatever cuts them cuts my own skin.

And what misses them is my dodging

By God, they will have no one like me after I am gone.

By God they have none like me after me!