لَمّا نَظَمتُ الشّعرَ مُمتدِحاً بهِ

لِلفاضِلِ البحرِيِّ جلَّ بِفَضلِهِ

When I composed poetry praising

The eminent al-Buhari, exalted by his merit,

وَجَعَلتُهُ كَالدُرِّ فيه منظّماً

وَقَريحَتي لَيسَت تَجودُ بِمِثلِهِ

And made it like a pearl, assembled artfully,

Though my talent cannot equal its like,

قالوا رَميتَ الدرَّ في البَحري الّذي

لَم يَستَحقْ لَه وَلَيسَ بِأَهلهِ

They said, “You have cast a pearl before one who

Is not deserving of it, nor worthy of it.”

فَأَجبتُ إِنَّ الدرَّ هَذا أَصلُهُ

ولكُلُّ شيءٍ قد يعودُ لأصلِهِ

So I replied, “This pearl’s origin

Is the sea, and everything returns to its origin.”