لَما رَأَيتك وَالوابور مُجتَهدُ

في سَيره بِجُنود ما لَها عَددُ

When I saw you and the steamer striving

On its course with legions beyond count,

وَلي أَشَرتَ عَلى بُعد بِيُمنِ يَدٍ

مُسلّماً وَلِواء النَصر مُنعَقد

And you waved from afar with your right hand

Surrendering, your banner of victory furled,

قَنعت مِنكَ بِتَسليم عَلى عَجَلٍ

وَفي ركابك سارَ اللب وَالخَلَد

I was content with your hurried salutation,

While my heart and soul sailed in your train.

فَاِبعَث إِليّ بِمَنشور يَعيش بِهِ

مني وَمن صُحف مَطوية جَسَد

Send me then a scroll on which to live

By me and by the folded leaves of my form.

وَلا تُضِع يا أَميري فُرصةً عَرضت

لِمَن عَلى الوَعد بَعد اللَه يَعتَمد

And O my prince, let no chance escape

When it comes to one whose hope after God rests on his word.

وَاِنهَض إِلى جبر كسرٍ لَيسَ يجبره

إِلّا سُرور عَلَيهِ يَكثر الحَسَد

Arise and bind up the break of one whose break

None can bind but the joy in him that breeds much envy.

لا سِيَما وَشُهور المَوعد اِقتَرَبت

وَالرفت لَيسَ لَهُ مِن بَعدِهِ أَمَد

Especially as the months of the tryst draw near,

And grace whose course thereafter has no term.

وَكاتب الشَطب في أَمري تَمدّ لَه

عَمّا قَليل إِلى قَطع المَعاش يَد

And the clerk of erasure, in my affair, stretches out to him

Ere long his hand to cut off the means of livelihood.

وَلَيسَ لِلملِك المَسعود طالعُهُ

علمٌ بِحال غُلامٍ ما لَهُ مَدَد

The fortunate king has no knowledge

Of the state of a page who has no recourse.

وَهَل سَوى يُوسف الصَديق يذكرني

إِذا نُسيتُ وَعَني لَم يَسَل أَحَد

Does any but Joseph the Truthful remember me

When I am forgotten and none asks after me?