مَهْلاً عَلَى القَلْبِ إِنَّ القلبَ قدْ لُسِبَا

إِذْ قِيلَ حَبْرَ الْهُدَى عَلَيَّ قَدْ عَتَبَا

Be gentle with the heart, for the heart has been stung,

When it was said that the scholar of guidance had reproached me.

حَبْرَ الْجَزَائِرِ لَا تَنْفَكُّ مُحْتَجِبأ

عَمَّنْ يَمُدُّ إِلَى تَنْكِيدِكُمْ سَبَبَا

O Scholar of Algiers, may you ever remain shielded

From anyone who extends a cause to bring you distress.

لَا وَحَيَاتِكَ يَا ابْنَ الأَكْرَمِينَ أَباً

مَا كَانَ مَا فَاتَ مِنَّا عَنْ قِلىً عَجَبَا

No, by your life, O son of the most noble ancestry,

What slipped from us was born neither of hatred nor conceit;

لَكِنْ طَرِبْنَا بِمَا أَبْدَيْتَ مِنْ نُكَتٍ

نَفِيسَةٍ أَوْرَثَتْنِي ضَحِكاً طَرَبَا

But rather, we were enchanted by the subtle points you revealed,

Precious insights that bequeathed me joyous laughter.

وَقَدْ فَهِمْنَا فَهْمَنَا بِالذِي شَرِبَتْ

أَفْكَارُنَا مِنْ عُقَارٍ حَكَتِ الضَّرَبَا

And we realized our understanding through what our thoughts drank,

From a wine that resembled the purest white honey.

وَمَنْ يَكُنْ بِعُقَارِ الْعِلْمِ مُصْطَحِباً

أَجْدِرْ بِهِ أَنْ يُرَى مِنْ سُكْرِهِ طَرِبَا

And whoever takes the wine of knowledge as a companion,

It is most fitting that he be seen thrilled by his intoxication.

هَبْنَا زَلَلْنَا أَمَا لِلْحِلْمِ أَرْدِيَةٌ

سَابِغَةٌ تَرْتَدِيهَا زَلَّةُ الْغُرَبَا

Grant that we slipped—are there no cloaks of forbearance,

Ample and flowing, to clothe the misstep of strangers?

إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الذِي أبْدَيْتُهُ كَذِباً

فَلاَ قَضَى وَطَرِيمِنْ عِلْمِكُمْ أَرَبَا

If this which I have declared to you is a lie,

Then may my desire never attain its purpose from your knowledge,

وَلاَ رَكِبْتُ جِيَادَ الْعِلْمِ مُسْرَجَةً

وَلاَ اقْتَدَيْتً بِمَنْ هَامَ بِهَا وَصَبَا

Nor may I ever ride the saddled steeds of learning,

Nor follow the example of one who loves it madly and yearns,

وَلاَ ظَفِرْتُ بِمَا أَرْجُوهُ مِنْ وَطَرٍ

وَلاَ بَرِحْتُ أُعَانِي الْكَدَّ وَالْوَصَبَا

Nor may I triumph in the goal that I hope for,

And may I never cease to suffer toil and exhaustion,

وَلاَ حَنَنْتُ إِلَى فَاسٍ وَجِيرَتِهَا

وَلاَ دَعَانِي إِلَى تِطْوَانَ عَرْفُ صَبَا

Nor may I ever yearn for Fez and its neighbors,

Nor may the fragrant east wind ever call me to Tetouan.