ومذ أتى الدنيا علي وأتى

بشيره يسحب ذيل الجذل

Since life came to me as it does

With its herald dragging his robe’s tail

قلت وإني أحمد مؤرخاً

قرة عين لي من الدنيا علي

I said, though praising a historian

The joy of my eye is Ali