مولاي مجد الدين يا معرقا

من دوحة أشراف أمجادِ

My lord Majd al-Din, O deep-rooted scion

Of a tree of illustrious nobles,

عبدت للطلاب طرق الندى

كجدك القرم بن عباد

You paved for seekers the paths of bounty,

Like your grandsire, the noble chief Ibn Abbad:

الصاحب الساحب ذيل العلى

منجز ميعاد وإيعادِ

Al-Sahib, trailing the train of eminence,

Fulfilling promise and threat.

قفوت ما سن بأقلامه

وزدت في إقليم بغداد

You followed what he established with his pens,

And added, in the province of Baghdad,

من رغبة ترجى ومن رهبة

تخشى ومن عدل وإرفادِ

Hope to be cherished, and dread

To be feared, and justice and largesse.

أعدت من عاداته ما مضى

كأنما جئت لميعادِ

You revived what had passed of his ways,

As though you had come by appointment.

يا مزنة التأميل يوم الندى

للوفد بل يا قمر النادي

O raincloud of hope on the day of bounty

For the delegation—rather, O moon of the assembly!

عودتني البر وكل امرئ

يطلب ما عود من عادِ

You have accustomed me to kindness, and every man

Asks of a giver what he is accustomed to.

إني نبي الشعر لكنني

شفيع نباذٍ وقوّادِ

I am indeed the prophet of poetry, yet I am

An intercessor for a wine-seller and a pimp.

حاشاك من ردي على أنني

قد طال بالتثقيل تردادي

Far be it from you to reject me, although I

Have long burdened you with my repeated visits.

أسمع بها موشيه لو شدا

سمع ابن حجابِ بها شادِ

How resounding this embroidered verse! Had a singer sung

It into the ear of Ibn Hijab,

ما قال في جدك من قبلها

قل لرفيقيَّ كلا زادي

He would not, before this, have said of your grandsire:

“Tell my two companions: both of you, eat my provisions.”