1. سقى اللهُ بغداداً وساكنَها الحيا

    دعاء مشوقٍ بالتذكّرِ مولَعِ

    May God water Baghdad and its inhabitant with rain—

    the prayer of a yearning man, absorbed in remembrance.

  2. تناءت به الأقدارُ عنها فما له

    على ذكرها غيرُ الحنين المُرَجَّعِ

    The fates have carried him far from her, so he has

    nothing on recalling her but longing voiced again and again.

  3. هي المنزل المأهول والمربع الذي

    له الفخرُ في الدنيا على كلِّ مربعِ

    She is the inhabited dwelling and the abode that

    has preeminence in this world over every other abode.

  4. أضاءت ضياءَ الدين منك بماجدِ

    مليىءٍ بأسباب الإيالة أروعِ

    She has shone, O Diya al-Din, through you, a noble man

    amply endowed with the means of governance and magnificent.

  5. رآك أميرُ المؤمنين لحكمةٍ

    من الله أهلاً للعلا والترفُعِ

    The Commander of the Faithful deemed you, through wisdom

    from God, worthy of eminence and exaltation.

  6. فأولاك من نعمائهِ ما رأيته

    يزيد على مأمولك المَتوقَّعِ

    So he bestowed on you, from his favors, what you saw

    surpassing what you hoped for and expected:

  7. ولايةَ حكم تحتها كلُّ حاكمٍ

    ومرتعَ قرب دونه كل مرتعِ

    judicial authority, with every judge beneath it,

    and a pasture of nearness, beneath which every pasture lies.

  8. وإنا لَنرجو فوق ذلك مظهراً

    لمجدك من إحسانه المتنوّعِ

    And we surely hope, beyond that, for a manifestation

    of your glory through his manifold beneficence.

  9. أجدَّ له الرحمن سعداً مخلَّداً

    وملاّه بالنُعمى وطولِ التمتعِ

    May the All-Merciful renew for him everlasting good fortune,

    and let him enjoy blessings and lasting delight.

  10. وملّكه ما بين شرقٍ ومغربٍ

    رقابَ البرايا من عصيٍّ وطيِّعِ

    And grant him, between east and west, dominion over

    the necks of mankind, rebellious and obedient alike.

  11. ولولا عُلوُّ السنِّ جئتُك زائراً

    لتشركَ عيني في اللذاذة مسمعي

    And were it not for advanced age, I would come to you as a visitor,

    so that my eye might share my ear's delight,

  12. وأشهد بالزوراء ربعاً كأنما

    به كان زوراً مولدي وترعرعي

    and behold in al-Zawra an abode, as though

    my birth and upbringing there had been a falsehood.

  13. ولكنَّ سبعاً بعد سبعينَ لم تدع

    لنفسيَ همَّاً غيرَ رقبة مِضجعي

    But seven years beyond seventy have not left

    my soul any care but awaiting my resting place.

  14. سلامٌ عليكم واقروا كيف شئتم

    سلامي لكم عن زائرٍ ومودِّع

    Peace be upon you; read, however you wish,

    my greeting to you, from a visitor and one bidding farewell.