يا حافظًا علِقَتْ بذي

لِ نداهُ راحاتُ المطامِعْ

O guardian attached to whose noble side

Are the hopes of aspirants hovering,

والمُجْتَنَى من دَوْحِه

ثَمرُ الندى والفضلِ يانِعْ

And the choicest fruits plucked from its blessed shade

Are bounty and favor ripening,

ما زالَ روضُ ثَنَاك في

أَنفاسِ ريحِ الشكرِ ضائِعْ

Your garden has remained perpetually

Amidst wafts of gratitude wandering astray,

لا زلْتَ بدراً نورُه

في ظلمةِ الأَحداثِ ساطعْ

You have remained a moon whose light

Shines amidst deepening gloom.

يا أَولاً أَنا للضَّنَى

والفقرِ والأَشجانِ رابعْ

O patron to whom I first turned in my hour of grief

Poverty and melancholy keeping me company

صالت عليَّ يدُ الزما

نِ بحَدِّ أَسيافٍ قواطعْ

Old age has assailed me with sharp swords

Mercilessly putting me to the sword,

ولقد صبرتُ لصرفِه

ظنًّا بأَنَّ الصَّبْرَ نافِعْ

I bore it patiently thinking that patience is gainful

But found my affairs ultimately leading me back to you,

فرأَيتُ أَمري لا يزا

لُ إِليك في الحاجاتِ راجعْ

And I realized that you are a guardian

Under whose care none goes astray.

وعلمتُ أَنك حافظٌ

ما في ذَراهُ قطُّ ضائعْ

Yet he who resides in my abode

Has retired tonight empty-stomach’d and hungry

لكنْ مَنْ في منزلي

أَمسى كما أَمسَيْتُ جائعْ

Lacking a single dirham, yet riches of bounty,

Intercede for Your slave in his trying times, O best of intercessors

وعدمت موضِعَ دِرْهَمٍ

أَمْرِي به دِرَ المنافعْ

And turn a deaf ear should unworthy praises of You strike the ears.

واشفَعْ لعبدِكَ عند صر

فِ زمانِهِ يا خَيْرَ شافعْ

واسلَمْ متى ما قُرِّطَتْ

بمدائحي فيك المسَامعْ