دامَ بَقاؤُكَ لَنا

لا سِيمَا لِيَ أنَا

May your existence remain for us

Especially for me

يا مَن يُفاوِحُ اسمُهُ

فَتيقَ مِسكٍ صَيِّنا

O you whose name exudes

The fragrance of pure musk

وُجودُه وجودُهُ

هُمَا رَجائِي والمُنى

His existence, his existence

Are my hope and desire

ألدَّهرُ وهوَ عَبدكُم

شزراً إلَىَّ قَدرنَا

Time is your servant

Plotting against our fate

فلا تَدَعهُ سَيِّدي

يَفتكُ بي وقَد دَنا

So do not let it, my master

Destroy me now that it is close

أربعةٌ شَكَوتُهَا

إليكَ فاقضِ بَينَنا

I complained of four things

To you, so judge between us

دَينٌ وعيدُ الفِطرِ مَع

فَصلِ الشِّتاءِ والضَّنى

Debt, Eid al-Fitr is nigh

Winter and grief

واصفَح لِشَاعِرِكَ إِن

فِي ذا الخِطابِ قد جَنى

And forgive your poet if

In this discourse he erred

لولا الزَّمانُ اضطرَّني

ومَسَّنِي مِنهُ العَنَا

If not for time forcing me

And afflicting me with problems

ولِلرَّدَى واحَسرَتي

يَقودُ مِنِّي الرَّسَنَا

And for loss and regret

Leading me to poetry

لم أَجتَرِئ ولم أكُن

لَكَ بِهذا مُعلِنَا

I would not have dared and would not

Have declared this to you

لَكِنَّ الإضطِرَارَ مِن

نِي لِلتَّجَلُّدِ فَنَى

But need compelled me

To forego propriety

وليس لي مِن أحَدٍ

أرضى به لِيُحسِنَا

And I have no one

To please by doing good

غَنيتُ عن كَلِّ الورى

وعنكَ مالى غنى

I am needless of all people

And of you I have no need

ولا تُصَدِّق واشِياً

يَشي بِشاعِرِ الدُّنَا

And do not believe a slanderer

Slandering the poet of the world

وكَذِبَنَّهُ إذا

مِنكَ دَنَا أو أَعلَنا

And call him a liar if he

Draws near or makes claims

حاشاك أن يَخفَى علي

كَ فِعلُ أَولادِ الزِنَى

It cannot be hidden from you

The deeds of illegitimate sons

ألسَّعىُ فِي الشَّرِّ لَدَي

هِم خَيرُ شَىءٍ يُقتَنى

To them, the pursuit of evil

Is the best thing to be sought

شاعِرُكُم وعَبدُكُم

هُوَ أنا هو أنا

Your poet and servant

Is none but me

ذاكَ الذي لولاكُم

وَطنَهُ مااستَوطَنا

I who, were it not for you

Would not have settled

أنقَذتُمُوه والرَّدَى

يُنشِبُ فيه بُرثُنَا

You saved me while loss

Was spreading through our home

والسَمعَ مِنهُ دائِماً

عَوَّدتُ قَولاً لَيِّنَا

And I always hear from you

Gentle words

والبِرَّ أولَيتَهُ واللُّط

فَ وبِشراً واعتِنا

And you granted me righteousness and grace

Good news and care

إليهِ قد أحسَنتُمُ

أبقاكَ رَبِّي مُحسِنا

You have been good to him

May my Lord keep you a benefactor

حاشا بأن أَنسى جَمي

لَكَ إلى أن أُدفَنا

Far be it that I forget

Your favors until I am buried