وأقولُ إِني لَو ظَفِر

تُ ففُزتُ مِن نَفسي بِطاعَه

And I say, if only I gained

Victory over myself through obedience

لقَطعتُ أَفراسَ الغِنى

سَبقاً عَلى حُمُر القَناعَه

I would race the horses of wealth

Ahead of the donkeys of contentment

لصناعةٍ باتَت تُكَل

لِفُني البكورَ إلى الصِّناعَه

For an art that has become

My whole endeavor from dawn to dusk

أسعَى وَقَد أبصَرتَني

هل فيَّ للسَّعي استِطاعَه

I strive though you see in me

No aptitude for striving

والشَّيخُ أَولى مَن يَقو

مُ مَعي فيَكشفُ لي ذِراعَه

Yet the Shaykh is best placed

To aid me and extend to me his hand

ويمدُّ همَّتَه وعُد

دَتَهُ ونجدَتَه وباعَه

And bolster my resolve, his help

And assistance and goods at every moment

جَرَت الهباتُ بذِكرِه

نسَباً وفعلاً كلَّ ساعَه

His gifts flow, his lineage

And deeds, at all times

فهو ابنُ واحِده إذا

نَسَبُوه وهو أبو جَماعَه

He is one, if they trace his line

And he is father to a whole community