أَيَا شَيخَ الشُّيُوخِ بِلاَ خِلاَفِ

ويَا شَيخَ التَّدَارُكِ والتَّلافي

O sheikh of sheikhs, with no dissent,

O sheikh of restoring and compensating,

أتَينَا زَائِرِينَ نُرِيدُ جَافاً

ولَسنَا زَائِرِينَ لِغَيرِ جََافِ

We came as visitors seeking refuge,

And we didn’t come as visitors for other than refuge.

فَإن كَانَت لكم لِمَمٌ حِسَانٌ

فَإنَّ لنا كَخَافِيَةِ الغُدَافِ

If you have beautiful voices,

Then we have voices sweeter than nectar.

وإن كُنتُم بِحُسنِ الصَّوتِ فُزتُم

فَإِنَّ لَنَا ألَذَّ مِنَ السُّلاَفِ

And if your claws are sharp,

Then ours are sharper than knives.

وَإن كَانَت نَوَاجِذكُم حِدَاداً

فَإِنَّ لنا أَحَدَّ مِنَ الإِشَافِ

And if circumstances allowed, you would have feasted,

Then we would have feasted on what frees from circumstances.

وإِن قَدرَ الأَثَافي إِذَن لقِمتُم

لَقِمنَا مَا يَحُلُّ عَنِ الأَثَافي

And if singing comes your way as a gift,

I came with two rising stars, which are enough.

وإِن كَانَ الغِنَاءُ إِلَيكَ يُهدَى

أتَيتُ بِطَلعَتَينِ وكَافِ