إنِّي بعَثتُ لِسيّدِي بِكتَابي

لينُوبَ في لَثمِ اليدَينِ مَنَابي

I sent my letter to my master

That he may wipe his hands upon it and smell its perfume

وَيَرَى أثيلَ المجدِ في أوجِ العُلا

ويَرى جلالَ العزِّ بينَ قِبَابِ

And see glory's mantle at its peak

And grandeur's majesty between its lines

وَيضُوعُ نشرُ المسكِ بينَ سُطورِه

بفًُكَاهةٍ تسمُو سمُوِّ حُبَابِ

And musk will flow in waves between its letters

With a smile rising as high as the clouds

أيَظَلُّ مولانَا يُمَتِّعُ طرفَه

في كلِّ منتَقبٍ بِوَردِ شبَابِ

Does our protector still delight his eyes

In every fold with the roses of youth?

أوَ كُلُّ بسَّامٍ يَدُلُّ جَبينُه

عَمَّالَه مِن رِقّةِ الآدابِ

Or does every smiling one bow his forehead

Taught by the gentleness of proper manners?

وخدِيمُكم عَمِيت نَواظِرُه علَى

مرأى الضَّفادِع في نفُوسِ ذئابِ

While your servant's eyes have gone blind

To the sights of frogs in the souls of wolves

من كُلِّ أعمَى عن فضِيلة فاضِلٍ

ويَرى نقيصَتَه بعَين عُقابِ

To every blind man to a virtuous one’s merit

Who sees but fault with a hawk’s eye

لم يَخلُ مَنبتُ شَعرةٍ في جسمهِم

مِن مِخلَبٍ يُؤذى به أو نَاب

Not one hair on their bodies is without

A claw that hurts or fang that bites

وتَظلُّ منتقِلا بخَير عواصِمٍ

في خيرِ حاشِية وخَيرِ رِكاب

While you continue moving through the best of capitals

With the best court and best mount

وعُبيدَكُم يرجُو الصَّويرَة ثم لاَ

يَلقَى سَبيلا مِن فراغٍ وِطَابِ

Your slaves hope for little gifts but find no

Path from emptiness and yearning

لازِلتَ سِيِّدِي المُطاعَ ولم أزل

مِن جُملةِ الخُدَّامِ بالأعتَابِ

Still my master you remain obeyed

While I remain among the doorkeepers

وعلَى خديمِك فاسمَحن بجَوابِه

لا تبخَلُوا عنه برَدِّ جوَابِ

So permit your servant to answer

Do not be stingy to him with an answer