وَرَهطٍ دَعَوني أَن أُجيبَ نِداءَهُم

فَلَمّا دَعَوني لَم يَرَوني بِقُعدُدِ

And a group called on me to answer their call

Yet when they called me, they did not see me sitting

أَإِخوانَنا الداعينَ بي لِأُجيبَهُم

إِلَيكُم تَروا مِنّي اِهتِزازَ المُهَنَّدِ

My brothers who called me to answer them

You will see the shaking of the spear from me

حَلَفتُ بِما بَينَالحَطيمِ وَزَمزَمَ

وَأَقسَمتُ بِالبَيتِ العَتيقِ المُشَيَّدِ

I swore by what is between al-Hatiym and Zamzam

And I swore by the Ancient House that is built

وَبِالطائِفينَ العاكِفينَ بِهَذِهِ اللَيا

لي تَراهُم مِن رُكوعٍ وَسُجَّدِ

And by those circling around during these nights

You see them bowing and prostrating

يَؤُمّونَ مَثوى لِلخَليلِ وَمَرقَداً

تَلَألَأَ نوراً بِالنَبِيِّ مُحَمَّدِ

They populate the dwelling of Abraham and tomb

Shining with the light of the Prophet Muhammad

مُشاةٌ وَرِكبانا عَلى كُلِّ ضامِرِ

وَمِن فَوقِ قَضبانِ الحَديدِ المُمَدَّدِ

On foot and riders over every exhausted camel

And above the iron bars that are extended

فَما في حَديثِ الحَجِّ لينٌ وَقَد غَدا

يَجيءُ عَلى شَرطِ البُخاري بِمُسنَدِ

So there is no gentleness in the talk of Hajj, and it is morning

Coming on the terms of al-Bukhari with support

لَعَمري لَقَد أَحيَت قَريحَةُ حافِظٍ

عُهودَ أَغانٍ لِلسَريجِ وَمَعبَدِ

By my life, the talent of the memorizer revived

The eras of songs to al-Sarijj and Maʿbad

يَقولونَ لي شَيِّد عَنِ الشامِ ذِكرُهُ

أَلَم يَكُ وَلِيَّ الشامِ شَطرَ التَوَدُّدِ

They say to me, mention it from Syria

Was he not the beloved of Syria, the most affectionate

فَقُلتُ لَهُم أُثني عَلَيهِ بِصالِحٍ

عَنِ العُربِ طَرّاً إِذّاكَ أَصلى وَمُحتَدي

So I said to them, I will praise him with the righteous

Sprung from the Arabs whenever he prays and is guided

وَما عُربِيٌّ بَيَّنَ الضادَ نَطَقَهُ

بِشامي وَلا مِصريٌّ وَلا مُتَبَغدِدِ

No Arab elucidated its pronunciation

Not a Syrian, nor Egyptian, nor wandering

وَقَبلي قَد أَولاكَ سامي شَهادَةً

وَمِثلي بِمَحمودِ السَجِيَّةِ يَقتَدي

And before me I gave you honest witness

And the like of me follows the praise of al-Sajiyya

فَأَنتَ إِما النَثرَ غَيرَ مُدافِعٍ

وَأَنتَ أَميرُ الشِعرِ مِن بَعدِ أَحمَدِ

So you are either prose without defending

Or the prince of poetry after Ahmad