كيفَ خَلاصي من العِراقِ وقد

آثرتُ فيها مَعادِنَ الكَرَمِ

How can I escape from Iraq when I have chosen in it

The mines of generosity?

رَأَيْتُ فيها خَلاعَةً وُصِلَتْ

أطرافُها بالعلومِ والحِكَمِ

I saw in it a glory that was adorned

By knowledge and wisdom.

مَجالِسٌ يَرقُصُ القُضاةُ بها

إذا انتشَوا في مَخانقِ البَرَمِ

Gatherings where judges dance

When they relax from the noose of analysis

كأنَّهُمْ من ملوكِ حِمْيَرَ ما

أَوفَتْ أكاليلُهُم على اللَّمَمِ

As if they were kings of Himyar whose

Crowns were completed despite difficulties.

وصاحِبٍ يَخلِطُ المُجونَ لنا

بشيمَةٍ حُلوَةٍ منَ الشِّيَمِ

And a friend who mixes wine for us

With a sweet nature from virtues.

تَخْضِبُ بالرَّاحِ شَيبَه عَبَثاً

أناملٌ مثلُ حُمرَةِ العَنَمِ

Age colors his hair vainly

Fingers like the red of ants.

حتى تَخالَ العيونُ شَيبَتَه

شَيبةَ فَعلانَ خُضِّبَتْ بِدَمِ

Until eyes imagined his gray hair

The gray hair of doers dyed with blood.

إذا سَقى اللهُ مَنْزِلاً فسقَى

بغدادَ ما حاولَتْ منَ الدِّيَمِ

When God watered a house, He watered

Baghdad with what it attempted of building.

يا حَبَّذا صَحبةُ العلومِ بها

والعيشُ بين اليَسارِ والعَدَمِ

O the blessing of science being a companion in it

And living between ease and doing without.