يا سيِّدي عِشتَ لي وبَعدِي

وأرضُ نعليكَ صَحنُ خَدِّي

My master, you lived for me and after me

And the ground of your sandals is the dish of my cheek

بعثتُ يا سَيدي كِتابا

إلَى حِماكُم وإنَّ قَصدِي

I sent, my master, a letter

To your protection, and my intention is

أبنِي عليه أساسَ نَظمٍ

يفوقُ في الحُسنِ نظمَ عِقدِ

To build on it a foundation of prose

That excels in beauty the prose of a necklace

موضُوعُه مِيزَةٌ أراهَا

في كرَة الأرضِ ذاتُ فقدِ

Its subject is a virtue I see

In the sphere of the earth, that of loss

وَهيَ أن الرشيدَ لمَّا

شاعِرُه يَجتَدِي لِرِفدِ

And it is that when the right-guided one

His poet composes to enrich

إبعث إليهِ به وهَذِي

والحمدُ للهِ أيُّ حَمدِ

Send it to him, and this is my

Thanks to God, what thanks!

لم تَبقَ إلا لَدَيكُمُ مَع

شاعِرِكَ الفردِ أيُّ فردِ

There remained only with you, with

Your unmatched poet, what unmatched one

وذي مُلوكُ الورَى جَميعا

شَرقا وغَربا وخَلفَ هِندِ

And the kings of all people

East, west, and behind India

بٍِواحدٍ منهُمُ فكَِّب

قَولِي هذا علَى التَّحَدِّي

With one of them, so glorify

My saying this arrogantly

أما تَرى الآنَ صِدقَ قَولي

وخِبرَتِي بالوَرَى ونَقدِي

Do you not now see the truth of my words

And my experience in life and my critique

وفَرطَ غَوصِي علَى خَبايَا

كَنزِ مَزايَا لكُم ومَجدِ

And the extent of my diving into the secrets

Of the treasure of your virtues and glory

وكم إذا ما اكتَشَفت منها

نَزراً أرَانِي حليفَ رُشد

And whenever I uncover from it

A little, I see myself an ally of righteousness

مُجدِّدا للرشيدِ عَهدا

وكوكَبا في سَمَاء سَعدِ

Renewing for the right-guided one a covenant

And a star in the sky of happiness

وفَخرِ غربٍ على سِوَاه

وماجِداً عَن أبٍ وجَدِّ

And the pride of the west over its likes

And glorious from a father and grandfather

ومُعجزِ الواصِفين طُرَّا

ومَن مَزاياه دون عَدِّ

And the miracle of describers flying

And of his virtues without counting

عندكَ كَم من جميلِ فِعلِ

فىَّ وشُكرِ الجَميل عِندِي

You have, how much beautiful deed

Towards me, and gratitude for kindness is in me

قَلبي وحُبِّي وكلُّ شِعري

إليكَ أُهدشي إليك أُهدي

My heart, my love, and all my poetry

To you I dedicate, to you I dedicate

وبك إن يَفتخر ويَزهَى

شاعرُك المُفرَدُ المُفَدِّي

And through you, if he boasts and becomes proud

Your unmatched, redeeming poet

فَصُل به وافتخِر وأعلِن

إخلاصَه واحتفاظَ عَهدِ

Exalt him, and boast, and declare

His loyalty, and preservation of the covenant

كيفَ ولي أنتَ عند ضَيقي

يا خيرَ مولى لِخيرِ عبدِ

How, while you are my guardian in my plight

O best master of the best slave