كانَ لَكَ اللُّه يا أَبا الحَسَنِ

مُنَجِّياً من طوارِقِ الفِتنِ

May Allah protect you, O Abu Al-Hasan

As a savior from the tyranny of tribulations

أَنتَ بآلائِكَ التي شَرُفَتْ

أَصْبَحْتَ عن سائر المديح غَنِي

With your virtues that brought you honor

You have become self-sufficient, without need for praise

أَبوكَ قد حازَ كّلَّ مَكْرُمَةٍ

وأَنتَ من بعدِهِ على السَّنَنِ

Your father attained every glory

And you follow in his footsteps

يا ابْنَ خُلَيْفٍ ويا أَجَلَّ فَتًى

مثالُه في الزمانِ لم يَكُنِ

O son of a Caliph, O finest of youth

Whose equal in this age does not exist

إِني بصرفِ الزَّمانِ مُمْتَحَنٌ

كذلك الحُرُّ مَعْدِنُ المِحَنِ

I am tested by the passage of time

As is the way for free men, the mine of trials

وقد أَتاني الرسولُ يُخْبِرُنِي

أَنْكَ تبغِي الكتابَ غَيْرَ وَنِي

And the messenger has come telling me

That you seek the script without reproach from me

ولي أَمورٌ تعوقُنِي فإذا

أَنصفْتَ فاصْبِرْ فالوَقْتُ لم يَحِنِ

But matters impede me, so if you are just

Be patient - the time is not yet ripe

من وَرَقٍ راشِحٍ يلوحُ به

أَحْلَكْ حِبْرٍ يكونُ كَالقُطُنِ

With paper that shines white

Ink as black as coal upon it

وكُلَّ يَوْمٍ أَقُولُ أُنْجِزُهُ

ونائباتُ الزَّمانِ تَصْرِفُني

And each day I say I will fulfill it

But the turns of fate preoccupy me

فاقْبَلْ معاذِيرَ خادِمٍ كَلِفٍ

في سِرِّه مادحٍ وفي العَلَنِ

So accept the excuses of a weary servant

Praising you in secret and openly

واحكُمْ بما ترتضِيهِ فَهْوَ إِذا

رضيتَ عنه رِضاً عن الزمنِ

And judge as you see fit, for if

You are pleased, it is pleasure to the age