1. أعندك علمٌ أم أقولُ فأطربُ

    وأشرح حالي باختصار فأطنبُ

    Do you know, or shall I speak and bring delight?

    And briefly explain my state, then speak at length?

  2. ولو رمت أن آتي على كل شرحه

    لما قام لي طرسٌ ولا استطعت اكتبُ

    Were I to attempt to cover every detail of it,

    No parchment would suffice me, nor could I set it down.

  3. لقيت فتىً لو كان للسحبِ كفه

    لما طلعت شمسٌ ولا لاح كوكبُ

    I met a young man: if the clouds had his hand,

    No sun would rise, nor any star appear.

  4. فأعربُ حتى قلتُ ما هو معربٌ

    وأعجب حتى قلَّ مني التعجبُ

    So I described him until I said he remained undescribed;

    And I marveled until my wonder itself dwindled.

  5. ولم ادر ما لاقيت من كل معجبٍ

    ولو قلت ادري كنتُ والله أكذبُ

    I could not fathom all the wonders I encountered;

    And if I said I knew, by God, I would be lying.

  6. فما شئت قل مما تحبُّ وفوقه

    وأضعافه في مثلها ألف تضربُ

    So say whatever you wish of what you love—and beyond it;

    And its multiples—multiply them by a thousand of their like,

  7. إِلى ألفِ ألفٍ في ألوفٍ ألوفُها

    ويضرب محسوباً بما ليس يحسبُ

    Up to a thousand thousand, times thousands upon thousands,

    And the reckoned sum is multiplied by what cannot be reckoned.

  8. فمهما تناهي ما ذكرت فعشرما

    لقيتُ ولا والله للعشر يقربُ

    However far what I have mentioned reaches, it is a tenth of what

    I received—yet no, by God, it does not approach a tenth;

  9. ولا عشرَ عشرِ العشرِ فاضر به نازلاً

    بأمثاله أضعاف ما هو يعربُ

    Nor a tenth of a tenth of that tenth—multiply it downward,

    By its like, many times what it expresses.

  10. فما صحَ عن هذا وذاك فإِنني

    أرى كل يومٍ لي كذلك يوهبُ

    Whatever results from this and that, I

    See that much bestowed on me every day.

  11. وأضعافه بل ضعف أضعاف ضعفه

    ألوف اليها كلما عدّ ينسبُ

    And its multiples—nay, double the multiples of its double—

    Are thousands, to which it is ascribed whenever counted.

  12. ولا ذنبَ إِن قصرتُ فيما شرحته

    فليس الذي يأتي على الجهد مذنبُ

    And no fault is mine if I have fallen short in what I explained,

    For one who does his utmost is not to blame.

  13. أبا بكر فَاسمع ما يسرك وانتظر

    لما أَنت ترجو من صنيعي وتطلبُ

    O Abu Bakr, hear what delights you, and wait

    For what you hope for and seek from my deeds.

  14. فإِني من لا ينسى حقََّ صاحبٍ

    وإِني أو إِلى من يوالي ويعتبُ

    For I am one who does not forget a friend's due,

    And I—or toward whoever shows loyalty and reproaches [text unclear].

  15. فما حجتي إِن لا أُبلغك المنى

    فتصبح في عرسٍ وأعداك تندبُ

    Then what excuse have I if I do not grant you your wishes,

    So you wake in wedding joy, while your enemies lament?

  16. وهلا على فوق ما أَنا واصفٌ

    وهذي أياديه تجود وتكسبُ

    And why not above and beyond what I describe?

    And these hands of his give freely and bring gain.

  17. أبا بكر إِني بالوزير لغالبٌ

    وإِنك لي يا صاحبي ليس تغلبُ

    O Abu Bakr, through the minister I shall surely prevail,

    And you, my friend, are on my side and will not be defeated.

  18. فقلْ لهم ياضعف كيد زعيمهم

    وخيبة مسعاه الذي فيه أطنبوا

    So tell them: 'How feeble is their leader's plot,

    And how futile his pursuit, on which they dwelt at length!'

  19. فقد جمعوا لولا تلافوا مفرقاً

    وقد أرهبوا لو كان مثلي يرهبُ

    Indeed they have united—if only they had averted a scatterer;

    And they would have inspired fear, if one like me knew fear.

  20. وقل لهم موتوا بغيطٍ فإنني

    أرى لكم مما تلاقون أَطيبُ

    And tell them: 'Die of rage, for I

    Find that sweeter for you than what you face.'

  21. وبشراك قد أدركت ما كنت ترتجي

    فدونَك ما ترجوه مني وأرحبُ

    And glad tidings to you: you have attained what you hoped for;

    So take what you hope for from me—and more besides.