جهلتُ شهاب الدين ثُمَّ بَلوْتُهُ

جهلتُ شهاب الدين ثُمَّ بَلوْتُهُ

فعاينتُ كلَّ المجد عند أبي نصْرِ

فعاينتُ كلَّ المجد عند أبي نصْرِ

I knew not Shihab al-Din; then I put him to the test,

I did not know Shihab al-Din, then I put him to the test;

and saw with my own eyes all glory abiding with Abu Nasr—

and I beheld all glory in Abu Nasr.

كما جهل السَّاري مخائل سُحْبه

كما جهل السَّاري مخائل سُحْبه

فأخْبَرَهُ عن صِدْقِها سبلُ القطْرِ

فأخْبَرَهُ عن صِدْقِها سبلُ القطْرِ

as a night traveler failed to read the rain-signs in the clouds above him,

As a night traveler knew not what his clouds foretold,

until the pouring rain told him how true those signs had been.

then the streaks of rain told him their promise was true.