عبدُكَ شمسَ الدولة المرتجى

منتظرٌ تشريفكَ المذهبا

Your servant, the sun of the hoped state

Awaits your noble arrival

فاعتبْ صلاحَ الدِّين لي حالتي

عساهُ بالإصلاح أَنْ يعتبا

So reprimand Salah al-Din about my condition

May he reform it and repent

عَرِّفْهُ ماثمَّ فإنّي أَرى

من فضلهِ للفضلِ أن يغضبا

Introduce to him what has happened, for I see

By his excellence, the excellent may get angry

وكيف يَرْضَى ذاكَ بعضَ الرِّضا

ومجدُهُ يأباهُ كلَّ الإبا

And how can he be pleased with some pleasure

While his glory refuses all refusal

وقُلْ له جاءَتْهُ ملبوسةٌ

تخلّفتْ من تُبَّعٍ في سبا

And tell him a worn out turban has come to him

Left behind by one who fled in war

عمامةٌ رقّتْ ورثّتْ فما

نشرتُها إلا وطارتْ هَبَا

A turban that was soft and inherited

I did not spread it but it flew away