بَعْدَAfterالْإِمَارَةِthe emirateوَالْوِزَارَةِand the vizierateوَالْأُمُورِand the mattersالسَّامِيَةِsublime
After the emirate, the vizierate, and sublime matters
وَمَنَازِلٍand mansionsكَانُواthey wereبِهَاin themفَوْقَaboveالْمَنَازِلِthe mansionsعَالِيَةًlofty
And mansions in which they were, lofty above other mansions
وَتَحَرُّمٍAnd sanctityبِرَضَاعٍby breastfeedingأَوْorفَوْقَuponمُرْضِعٍa nurseلَكَfor youفَادِيَةٍransoming
And sanctity by milk-kinship, or upon a nurse ransoming for you
فَالْيَوْمَSo todayقَدْthey haveرَمَوْاcastلَدَيْكَbefore youبِمَاwith that whichيُشِيبُturns greyالنَّاصِيَةَthe forelock
So today they have cast before you that which turns the forelock grey
أَضْحَوْاThey becameوَجُلُّand most ofمُنَاهُمْtheir wishesمِنْكَfrom youالرِّضَىapprovalوَالْعَافِيَةَand well-being
They became such that most of their wish from you is approval and well-being
فَإِذَاSo ifرَضِيتَyou are pleasedفَإِنَّthen indeedأَنْفُسَهُمْtheir soulsبِحُكْمِكَwith your judgmentرَاضِيَةٌare pleased
So if you are pleased, then indeed their souls are pleased with your judgment
فَالْيَوْمَFor todayقَدْhasسَلَبَstripped awayالزَّمَانُtimeكَرَامَتِيmy dignityوَبَهَائِيَهْand my splendor
For today time has stripped away my dignity and my splendor
وَالْيَوْمَAnd todayقَدْhasأَلْقَىthrownالزَّمَانُtimeجِرَانَهُits chestبِفَنَائِيَهْat my courtyard
And today time has cast its heavy weight at my courtyard
وَرَمَىAnd it castسَوَادَthe blackمُقْلَتِيof my eyeفَأَصَابَand struckحِينَwhenرَمَانِيَهْit shot at me
And it aimed at the black of my eye, and struck when it shot at me
يَاOمَنْyou whoيَوَدُّdesiresلِيfor meالرَّدَىruinيَكْفِيكَit is enough for youوَيْحَكَwoe to youمَاwhatبِيهْis with me
O you who desires ruin for me, woe to you, what is with me is enough for you
يَكْفِيكَIt is enough for youمَاwhatأَبْصَرْتَyou have seenمِنْofذُلِّيmy humiliationوَذُلِّand the humiliationمَكَانِيَهْof my station
It is enough for you what you have seen of my humiliation and the humiliation of my station
يَكْفِيكَIt is enough for youأَنِّيthatمُسْتَبَاحٌis made lawfulمَعْشَرِيmy clanوَنِسَائِيَهْand my women
It is enough for you that my clan and my women are exposed
وَرُزِئْتُAnd I was stricken inمَالِيmy wealthكُلِّهِall of itوَفَدَىwhile ransomingالْخَلِيفَةَthe Caliphمَالِيَهْwas my wealth
And I was stricken in all my wealth, while my wealth was ransoming the Caliph
إِنْIfكَانَit isلَاnotيُرْضِيكَpleasing to youإِلَّاexceptأَنْthatأَذُوقَI tasteحِمَامِيَهْmy death
If nothing pleases you except that I taste my death
فَلَقَدْthen indeedرَأَيْتُI have seenالْمَوْتَdeathمِنْfromقَبْلِbeforeالْمَمَاتِdyingعَلَانِيَةًopenly
Then indeed I have seen death openly before the final death
وَفُجِعْتُAnd I was afflicted withأَعْظَمَthe greatestفَجْعَةٍafflictionوَفَنِيتُand I perishedقَبْلَbeforeفَنَائِيَهْmy destruction
And I was struck by the greatest affliction, and perished before my destruction
وَلَبِسْتُAnd I woreأَثْوَابَthe garmentsالذَّلِيلِof the humiliated oneوَلَمْand they were notتَكُنْto beبِلِبَاسِيَهْmy garments
And I wore the garments of the humiliated, though they were not my garments
وَعَطِبْتُAnd I perishedفِيinسُخْطِthe wrath ofالْإِمَامِthe Imamعَلَىoverرَفِيعِloftyبِنَائِيَهْmy building
And I perished in the wrath of the Imam over my lofty building
فَانْظُرْSo lookبِعَيْنِكَwith your eyeهَلْdoتَرَىyou seeإِلَّاexceptقُصُورًاpalacesخَالِيَةًempty
So look with your own eyes, do you see except empty palaces?
وَذَخَائِرًاAnd treasuresمَقْسُومَةًdividedقُسِّمْنَthey were distributedقَبْلَbeforeمماتيهmy death
And divided treasures that were distributed before my death
وَحَرَائِرًاAnd noble womenمِنْamongبَيْنِwhom areصَارِخَةٍscreamingعَلَيَّfor meوَبَاكِيَةٍand weeping
And noble women, among them one screaming for me and one weeping
وَنَوَادِبَAnd female mournersيَنْدُبْنَنِيbewailing meتَحْتَunderالدُّجَىthe darknessبِكِنَائِيَهْin my quarters
And female mourners bewailing me under the darkness in my quarters
يَاOأَبَاAbuعَلِيٍّAliالْبَرْمَكِيَّthe Barmakidفَمَاand you do notأُجِيبُanswerالدَّاعِيَهْthe caller
O Abu Ali the Barmakid, yet I do not answer the caller
وَبُكَاؤُهُنَّAnd their weepingوَقَدْwhileسَمِعْتُI heard itمُقَلْقِلٌshakesأَحْشَائِيَهْmy entrails
And their weeping, as I heard it, shakes my entrails
أَخَلِيفَةَO Caliphاللَّهِof AllahالرِّضَىAl-Ridaلَاdo notتَشْتُمَنْcurseأَعْدَائِيَهْmy enemies
O Caliph of Allah Al-Rida, do not curse my enemies
اذْكُرْRememberعُهُودَكَyour covenantsلِيwith meوَمَاand whatأَعْطَيْتَنِيyou gave meبِوَفَائِيَهْin my loyalty
Remember your covenants with me and what you gave me for my loyalty
اذْكُرْRememberمُقَاسَاتِيmy endurance ofالْأُمُورَmattersوَخِدْمَتِيand my serviceوَعَنَائِيَهْand my toil
Remember my enduring of affairs, my service, and my toil
ارْحَمْHave mercyجُعِلْتُmay I beلَكَfor youفِدَاءًa ransomكِبَرِيon my old ageوَشِدَّةَand the severityحَالِيَهْof my condition
Have mercy - may I be your ransom - on my old age and the severity of my condition
ارْحَمْHave mercy onأَخَاكَyour brotherالْفَضْلَAl-Fadlوَالْبَاقِينَand the remaining onesمِنْofأَوْلَادِيهْhis children
Have mercy on your brother Al-Fadl and the survivors among his children
فَلَقَدْFor indeedدَعَوْكَthey have called upon youوَقَدْand indeedدَعَوْتُكَI have called upon youإِنْifسَمِعْتَyou hearدُعَائِيَهْmy supplication
For they have called upon you, and I have called upon you, if you hear my supplication
أَخَلِيفَةَO Caliphالرَّحْمَانِof the Mercifulإِنَّكَindeed youلَوْifرَأَيْتَyou sawبَنَاتِيَهْmy daughters
O Caliph of the Merciful, if you were to see my daughters
وَبُكَاءَAnd the weeping ofفَاطِمَةَFatimaالْكَئِيبَةِthe grievedوَالْمَدَامِعُwhile tearsجَارِيَةٌare flowing
And the weeping of the grieved Fatima while tears are flowing
وَمَقَالَهَاAnd her sayingبِتَرَجُّعٍwith a quaverوَاشَقَوْتَاOh my wretchednessوَشَقَائِيَهْand my misery
And her saying with a quaver, 'Oh my wretchedness and my misery!'
مَنْWhoلِيfor meوَمَنْand whoلِيfor meوَقَدْnow thatفُصِمَwas snappedالزَّمَانُtimeقَنَاتِيَهْmy spear
Who is for me, and who is for me now that time has snapped my spear?
وَعَدِمْتُAnd I have lostصَفْوَthe purity ofمَعِيشَتِيmy livelihoodوَتَغَيَّرَتْand have changedحَالَاتِيَهْmy conditions
And I have lost the purity of my life, and my conditions have changed
مَنْWhoلِيis for meوَقَدْnow thatغَضِبَhas grown angryالزَّمَانُtimeعَلَىatجَمِيعِallرِجَالِيهْits men
Who is for me now that time has grown angry at all its men?
أَوْدَىIt destroyedالزَّمَانُtimeبِجَوْرِهِwith its injusticeبِسَاسَتِيmy statesmenوَحُمَاتِيَهْand my protectors
Time, with its injustice, has destroyed my statesmen and my protectors
يَاOعَطْفَةَtenderness ofالْمَلِكِthe KingالرِّضَىAl-Ridaعُودِيreturnعَلَيْنَاto usثَانِيَةًonce more
O tenderness of King Al-Rida, return to us once more
فَوَقَّعَSo Al-Rashid wroteالرَّشِيدُAl-Rashidفِيonرُقْعَتِهِhis petitionضَرَبَsets forthاللَّهُAllahمَثَلًاan exampleقَرْيَةًa townshipكَانَتْthat wasآمِنَةًsecureمُطْمَئِنَّةًand at peaceيَأْتِيهَاits provisionرِزْقُهَاcoming to itرَغَدًاabundantlyمِنْfromكُلِّeveryمَكَانٍplaceفَكَفَرَتْand it deniedبِأَنْعُمِthe favors ofاللَّهِAllahفَأَذَاقَهَاso Allah made it tasteاللَّهُAllahلِبَاسَthe garment ofالْجُوعِhungerوَالْخَوْفِand fearبِمَاbecause of whatكَانُواthey usedيَصْنَعُونَto do
So Al-Rashid wrote on his petition: 'And Allah sets forth an example: a township that was secure and at peace, its provision coming to it abundantly from every place, but it denied the favors of Allah. So Allah made it taste the garment of hunger and fear because of what they used to do.'
وَقَدْAndقُلْتُI said
And I said:
يَاOآلَfamily ofبَرْمَكَBarmakإِنَّمَاverilyكُنْتُمْyou wereمُلُوكًاkingsعَادِيَةًfleeting
O family of Barmak, you were merely fleeting kings
فَطَغَيْتُمْSo you transgressedوَبَغَيْتُمْand acted with insolenceوَكَفَرْتُمْand deniedنِعْمَائِيَهْmy favors
So you transgressed, acted with insolence, and denied my favors
هَذَاThis isعُقُوبَةُthe punishment ofمَنْwhoeverعَصَىdisobeysمَنْthe One whoفَوْقَهُis above himوَعَصَانِيَهْand has disobeyed me
This is the punishment of whoever disobeys the One above him and has disobeyed me
كُنْتُمْYou wereكَشَيْءٍlike somethingقَدْthat hasمَضَىpassedأَحْلَامَdreams ofنَوْمٍsleepسَارِيَةًpassing by
You were like something that has passed, passing dreams of sleep
وَتَمَثَّلَAnd he recitedبِقَوْلِthe verse ofمُهَهْلِلٍMuhalhil
And he recited the verse of Muhalhil:
بَاتَSpentلَيْلِيmy nightبِالْأَنْعَمَيْنِat Al-An'amaynطَوِيلًاlongأُرْقِبُwatchingالنَّجْمَthe starسَاهِرًاwakefulأَنْthatيَزُولَاit might set
My night at Al-An'amayn was long, wakefully watching the star to see if it would set
أَزْجُرُI restrainالْعَيْنَmy eyeأَنْfromتُبَكِّيَweeping overالطُّلُولَاthe ruinsإِنَّindeedفِيinالصَّدْرِthe breastمِنْbecause ofكُلَيْبٍKulaibغَلِيلًاis a burning thirst
I restrain my eye from weeping over the ruins; indeed in the breast there is a burning thirst because of Kulaib
إِنَّIndeedفِيinالصَّدْرِthe breastغُلَّةًis a thirstلَنْthat will neverتُقَضَّىbe quenchedمَاas long asدَعَاcallsفِيinالْغُصُونِthe branchesدَاعٍa callerهَدِيلَاcooing
Indeed in the breast is a thirst that will never be quenched as long as a cooing dove calls in the branches
لَمْTheyيُطِيقُواwere not ableأَنْtoيَنْزِلُواdescendفَنَزَلْنَاso we descendedوَأَخُوand the man ofالْحَرْبِwarمَنْis he whoأَطَاقَis ableالنُّزُولَاto descend
They were not able to descend, so we descended; and the man of war is he who is able to descend