مَرِض الجودُ والْتوَى الإكرامُ

مَرِض الجودُ والْتوَى الإكرامُ

وشكَا ما شكوتَه الإسلامُ

وشكَا ما شكوتَه الإسلامُ

Generosity fell ill, and munificence writhed;

Generosity and nobility fell ill,

and Islam complained of what you complained of.

And Islam complained of what afflicted it.

وَغَدا لاْعتِلالكَ العِزُّ والمَجْ

وَغَدا لاْعتِلالكَ العِزُّ والمَجْ

د عَلِيلَيْن واحتذى الإعظامُ

د عَلِيلَيْن واحتذى الإعظامُ

And because you fell ill, might and glory

Glory and grandeur languished because of your illness,

grew sick, and reverence followed suit.

And reverence grew frail.

عجباً كيف يَشْتَكي مَن فَداهُ الدْ

عجباً كيف يَشْتَكي مَن فَداهُ الدْ

دهْرُ واستَعصَمتْ به الأيّام

دهْرُ واستَعصَمتْ به الأيّام

How wondrous! How can he fall ill whom Time

How strange that one who saved lifetimes should complain!

has ransomed, and in whom the days sought refuge?

Days took refuge in him and defiant fates obeyed him,

وأطاعتْه عاصياتُ الرّزايا

وأطاعتْه عاصياتُ الرّزايا

وصِعابُ الأُمورِ حتّى الحمامُ

وصِعابُ الأُمورِ حتّى الحمامُ

And rebellious calamities obeyed him,

Even obstinate circumstances, to the extent of doves.

and difficult affairs—even death itself.

A king in whom the essence of light and sanctity resides,

مَلِكٌ فيه جَوهرُ النورِ والقُدْ

مَلِكٌ فيه جَوهرُ النورِ والقُدْ

سِ وإن ظَلَّ تدّعيه الأنام

سِ وإن ظَلَّ تدّعيه الأنام

A king within whom is the essence of light and holiness,

Though people claim him.

though humankind still claims him as its own.

How can a hand that rains generosity tire of giving?

كيف تَضنَى يَدٌ بِها يُمطر الجو

كيف تَضنَى يَدٌ بِها يُمطر الجو

د وكفّ بها يَصولُ الحُسامُ

د وكفّ بها يَصولُ الحُسامُ

How can a hand grow weak through which generosity rains,

How can a sword that wreaks havoc sheathe itself?

and a palm with which the keen sword strikes,

A brow that illuminates the stars of good fortune over us,

وجبينٌ به تُنِير نُجوم السْ

وجبينٌ به تُنِير نُجوم السْ

سَعدِ فينا ويَستضِيء الظَّلام

سَعدِ فينا ويَستضِيء الظَّلام

and a brow by which the stars of good fortune shine

And by which darkness becomes illuminated.

among us and darkness is lit?

How can the prime of one for whom, without it,

كيف تصفرّ غُرّةٌ لك لولا

كيف تصفرّ غُرّةٌ لك لولا

ها لَمَا كان للزّمان ابتِسام

ها لَمَا كان للزّمان ابتِسام

How can your radiant brow turn pale, when without it

There would be no smiles in this age turn sallow?

Time would have no smile?

Lifetime! You are the son of Ma’add!

إنّما الدهر أنت يا بن مَعَدٍّ

إنّما الدهر أنت يا بن مَعَدٍّ

فعلى الدهر إن سَقِمتَ السَّلام

فعلى الدهر إن سَقِمتَ السَّلام

You alone are Time, O son of Maʿadd;

So greet lifetime if you fall ill!

so farewell to Time if you fall ill.

May God not let me see you in distress,

لا أراني الإله فيكَ مُهِمّاً

لا أراني الإله فيكَ مُهِمّاً

لا ولا عَرَّجتْ بك الآلام

لا ولا عَرَّجتْ بك الآلام

May God never show me any distress concerning you;

Nor afflictions make you stumble!

no, nor may pains ever alight upon you.

O Imam of guidance, by whose hands

يا إمامَ الهُدَى الّذي بِيَدَيْهِ

يا إمامَ الهُدَى الّذي بِيَدَيْهِ

حُسِمَ الكُفْرُ وانجلى الإعدْام

حُسِمَ الكُفْرُ وانجلى الإعدْام

O Imam of guidance, by whose two hands

Disbelief was vanquished and darkness dispelled!

unbelief was cut off and destitution dispelled,

Would that I and the generous could ransom him fully,

ليتني والكرام نَفْدِيه طرّاً

ليتني والكرام نَفْدِيه طرّاً

وقليلٌ له أنا والكِرام

وقليلٌ له أنا والكِرام

would that I and the noble might all ransom him;

But I and the generous are paltry for him.

yet I and the noble are too little for him.

How can a king for whom God is protector

كيف يَضْنَى مَلْكٌ له الله جارٌ

كيف يَضْنَى مَلْكٌ له الله جارٌ

ومُجِيرٌ مّما يريد السَّقام

ومُجِيرٌ مّما يريد السَّقام

How can a king grow ill when God is his protector

From all that ails grow frail?

and shelters him from what sickness intends?

Distress only came to test you,

إنما زارك التشكّي طَلُوباً

إنما زارك التشكّي طَلُوباً

منكَ سَلْماً كَيْلاَ بِخَسفٍ يُسامُ

منكَ سَلْماً كَيْلاَ بِخَسفٍ يُسامُ

Affliction visited you only, eagerly seeking

Seeking your wellbeing, that it might withdraw cured.

peace from you, lest it be subjected to abasement.

It quickly lost all hold over you,

ما تراه استقلّ عنكَ سريعاً

ما تراه استقلّ عنكَ سريعاً

وبه عنك ذِلّة وانهِزَام

وبه عنك ذِلّة وانهِزَام

Do you not see how swiftly it departed from you,

And it retreated from you in disgrace and defeat.

bearing humiliation and defeat at your hands?

Trust that God will preserve you until

ثِقْ بأنّ الإله يُبْقِيك حتى

ثِقْ بأنّ الإله يُبْقِيك حتى

تَملكِ الأرض قادِراً لا تُرام

تَملكِ الأرض قادِراً لا تُرام

Trust that God will keep you alive until

You rule the land, prevailing, not opposed.

you rule the earth, powerful and unassailable,

And you live the lifetime that totals ninety

وتعِيش العمرَ الّذي هو تسعو

وتعِيش العمرَ الّذي هو تسعو

ن وعشر مُسَلَّماً لا تُضام

ن وعشر مُسَلَّماً لا تُضام

and live out a span of ninety

And ten, secured, not infringed upon.

and ten years, kept safe and never wronged.

Thus came the prophecy of old,

فبِذا جاءتِ الرّواية قِدْماً

فبِذا جاءتِ الرّواية قِدْماً

وبهذا جرتْ لك الأقلام

وبهذا جرتْ لك الأقلام

For this is what the tradition brought long ago,

And so the pens wrote of you.

and this is what the pens have written for you.

incumbent upon us for God, for you, are

فعلينا لله فيك صلاةٌ

فعلينا لله فيك صلاةٌ

وزكاةٌ زكيّةٌ وصِيامُ

وزكاةٌ زكيّةٌ وصِيامُ

Thus, on your account, we owe God prayer,

prayer, purifying alms, and fasting,

and pure alms and fasting,

When you recovered the caliphate and kingdom,

حين عُوفيتَ للخلافة والمُلْ

حين عُوفيتَ للخلافة والمُلْ

كِ وصحّت بك الأُمورُ الجِسام

كِ وصحّت بك الأُمورُ الجِسام

when you were healed for the caliphate and sovereignty,

And through you, grave affairs were corrected.

and through you momentous affairs were set right.

My heart drank the pure draught of your affection

شَرِبَتْ مُهجتي وِدادَك صِرفاً

شَرِبَتْ مُهجتي وِدادَك صِرفاً

شُرْبَ من لا يَثْنِيه عنك ملاَم

شُرْبَ من لا يَثْنِيه عنك ملاَم

My soul drank your love unmixed,

Drunk by one no blamer can deter from you.

drinking as one whom no reproach can turn from you.

I hope that through you I may hold the reins

فعسى أن يكون لي بك فيما

فعسى أن يكون لي بك فيما

أقتضيه على الزمان ذِمام

أقتضيه على الزمان ذِمام

So may I, through you, find a safeguard for what

over the age, however it kicks.

I demand of Time.

You are my request which I present, and is there,

أنت سُؤْلي الذي اقترحتُ وهل بع

أنت سُؤْلي الذي اقترحتُ وهل بع

دَكَ لي في الْبَرِيَّة استعصام

دَكَ لي في الْبَرِيَّة استعصام

You are the wish I asked for; and after you,

after you, any taking refuge in the wilderness for me?

is there any refuge for me in creation?

So remain exalted in your kingdom, fortified by you,

فابقَ مستعلِياً لمُلْكِك مشتدْ

فابقَ مستعلِياً لمُلْكِك مشتدْ

داً بك النقَّضُ فيه والإبرام

داً بك النقَّضُ فيه والإبرام

So remain supreme in your kingdom,

demolition in it and consolidation.

its undoing and binding strengthened through you.