1. Strum the lute towards family and homeland,
Oh what joy for the family, what joy for the dwelling!

2. Your eyes have found peace upon seeing you, the one who resides in them,
And afterwards, the breasts rejoiced with an ornament.

3. Oh Qays! In opinion you have surpassed people, and none
Can match you in Sham or Yemen.

4. Damascus, since you left, its joy has left,
And your return was the soul’s return to the body.

5. How much I prayed to God to gather us,
So I could attain seeing your beautiful face!

6. And now I have attained what I hoped for and sought,
And what hardships I faced have disappeared.

7. My Master! The best reciter, and the best young man,
Reward me for my enthusiasm throughout time.

8. You have not ceased to buy the highest praise
In the market of glory, with the most precious soul and price.

9. Whoever is stingy with spending has no excuse to criticize him,
And whoever blocks the way of the needy is contemptible.

10. I have come to you with my praise, and within me
Is something, not hidden from the astute.

11. So return with prayers from you, returning
Upon the one whose time is harsh and unsoftened.

12. And take from me a poem which I don’t think
Could be refused, for that would be the greatest favor.

13. She came to you adorned as a bride, so dress her
In gowns from Sanaa, and artisans from Aden.

14. Recite her rhymes when you read her,
With every sincerity, privately and openly.

15. You continue to rise above fate, with ease,
While those who oppose you are constricted and saddened.

16. You have not ceased to be comfortable when gathered,
In bliss, spreading joy blissfully.

17. You have not stopped delighting the eye when singing
Melody, and articulating tones in artful ways.