أَعِد مُنعِماً بِالعَفوِ روحي إِلى جِسمي

وَعُدلي إِلى حُلوِ الرِضى واهِباً جُرمي

Return my soul appeased with pardon to my body

And restore my justice to the sweetness of contentment, absolving my crime,

وَكُن لِيَ مِن سَوراتِ عَتبِكَ مُؤمِناً

فَقَد جَلَّ في نَفسي وَإِن دَقَّ عَن فَهمي

And from the verses of your reproach, be for me a believer,

For it is great in my soul, though beyond my comprehension,

وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً تُدنيهِ عِلماً بِحَقِّهِ

لِيَكبُرُ أَن يُجفى وَيُقصى عَلى الوَهمِ

And that a man whom knowledge of his right elevates

Is too great to be shunned and excluded through speculation,

وَلَستُ بِمُعتَدٍّ عَلَيكَ بِخِدمَةٍ

عَلى نَزرِها جازَيتَ بِالنائِلَ الجَمِّ

And I have not presumed upon you with any service

For which you rewarded with harm the attainment of perfection.

بَلى لي بِأَنّي نَشءُ عَصرِكَ حُرمَةٌ

إِذا رُعِيَت كانَ المُعَلّى بِها سَهمي

But yes I have, because I am a product of your age, a sanctity,

Which, if heeded, would make sublime my mark,

أَأُلقى لِأَنيابِ النَوائِبِ مُضغَةً

وَأَنتَ حُسامٌ لِلنَوائِبِ ذو حَسمِ

Shall I be thrown as prey to the fangs of misfortune

While you are a sword against misfortunes, decisive and sharp?

وَيَظلِمُ أَدنى الناسِ مِنكَ زَمانُهُ

وَعَدلُكَ مُخلي الخافِقينَ مِنَ الظُلمِ

And your justice leaves the lowliest people free from wrong,

While the times do the least of men injustice.

وَأُبعَدُ إِعراضاً عَلى غَيرِ زَلَّةٍ

وَقَد شاعَ قُربي مِنكَ في العُربِ وَالعُجمِ

And I am spurned without even a slip,

Though my closeness to you was renowned among Arabs and non-Arabs,

رَمانِيَ مَن عَن قَوسِهِ كُنتُ رامِياً

بِسَهمٍ وَهى رُكني لَهُ وَهَوى نَجمي

I was struck by one whose bow I used to bend

With an arrow, though it was my pillar and the star of my destiny.

فَأَنهَجَ أَعدائي طَريقَ مَساءَتي

وَأَوجَدَ حُسّادي السَبيلَ إِلى ذَمّي

So he cleared the way for my enemies to hurt me

And enabled my enviers to find the path to blaming me.

نَزَلتُ عَلى حُكمِ الزَمانِ لِأَجلِهِ

وَقَد كانَ مِن بَعضِ النُزولِ عَلى حُكمي

I submitted to the judgment of time because of him

Though part of submission was against my judgement.

وَإِنّي لَتُدنيني إِلَيكَ عَلى النَوى

مَكارِمُ أَحفى بي مِنَ الأَبِ وَالأُمِّ

And the noble qualities that have surrounded me

Draw me closer to you than a father or a mother,

تَوالَت تَوالي الغَيثِ جادَ وَلِيُّهُ

يُكَمِّلُ عِندَ الرَوضِ عارِفَةَ الوَسمي

In successive flows, the rain of his bounty poured down

To perfect, at the meadow, the one who knows the brand.

فَلا يَذوِ غُصنٌ أَنتَ غارِسُ أَصلِهِ

وَساقيهِ جَوداً لَم يَزَل جَودُهُ يَهمي

No branch that you planted at the root

And watered with generosity will ever dry out or waver.

وَإِلّا تُعِدها خُلطَةً تَكبِتُ العِدى

عِدايَ وَتُجريني لَدَيكَ عَلى رَسمي

Unless you turn my misdeeds into a mix that stills vengeance

And makes me walk before you according to my measure,

فَلا تَستَدِمها جَفوَةً جَلَّ خَطبُها

فَفالَ بِها رَأيِي وَفُلَّ شَبا عَزمي

Do not persist in aloofness when its talk is outrageous,

So my purpose dwindled and the vigor of my resolve faded.

وَجُد لي بِبَعضِ القُربِ وَاِسمَح لِناظِري

بِأَدنى الكَرى وَاِرغَب بِقَلبي عَنِ الوَهمِ

Show me some closeness and allow my watcher

A little nearness and make my heart turn from imagining,

فَقَد جُدتَ لي بِالصيتِ في الناسِ وَاللُهى

فَوَفَّرتَ مِن نَيلِ العُلى وَالغِنى قِسمي

For you were bountiful to me in fame among people and distinction

And made ample my share of attaining the sublime and wealth.

وَأَنطَقتَني يا مُنطِقَ الخُرسِ بِالنَدى

فَأَلفَيتَني دونَ الوَرى مُسمِعَ الصُمِّ

And you granted me speech, granter of speech to the mute, through dew,

So you made me, apart from all people, hearing though deaf.