أما فضائِلُكَ العظمى فلا يَدَ لي

بشكرها فَتَقَبَّل عَفوَ مُعتذِرِ

For your great virtues I have no thanks,

So accept my apology though it's remiss,

لا وقتَ إلاَّ وفيه منكَ عَارِفَةٌ

غراءُ موصولَةُ الآصالِ بالبكرِ

There's no time but you grace it, generous friend,

Tying past to present with an unbroken thread,

فإن قطعتُ زماني شاكراً لك ما

وفَّيتُ في الحقِ مِعشَاراً من العُشُرِ

If all my days praising you I did spend,

I'd pay but a tithe of the debt that I owe.