أَتَانَا النَّظْمُ يُبْهِجُ كَالَّلآلِي

تَرُوقُ بِجِيدِ رَبَّاتِ الْحِجَالِ

The verses came to us, bringing joy like pearls,

Adorning the graceful necks of secluded beauties,

تَحَدَّانَا بِمُعْجِزِهِ خَبِيرٌ

بِأَسْرَارِ الْبَلاَغَةِ وَالْكَمَالِ

An expert challenged us with its miraculous craft,

One steeped in the secrets of eloquence and perfection.

فَمَا أَحْلَى الْعِتَابَ بِهِ وَلَكِنْ

مُضَمَّنُهُ يُعَدُّ مِنَ الْمُحَالِ

How sweet is the reproach within it, yet

What it implies is counted among the impossible.

مَعَاذَ اللهِ أَبْخَسُ حَقَّ خِلٍّ

يَمُتُّ إِلَيَّ بِالسِّحْرِ الْحَلاَلِ

God forbid that I should slight the right of a friend

Who binds himself to me through the lawful magic of eloquence,

وَبِالْمَوْلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمُعَلَّى

عَلِيٍّ ذِي الْمَنَاقِبِ وَالْخِصَالِ

And by the master Abu Al-Hasan, the exalted,

Ali, the possessor of virtues and noble traits.

فَكَوْنُكَ مِنْ ذُرَى الأَحْبَابِ قَاضٍ

عَلَيْنَا فِي الإِخَاءِ بِالاِتِّصَالِ

Your standing at the pinnacle of beloved friends decrees

That we must maintain our connection in brotherhood.

أَلَسْتَ مِنْ بَنِي تِطْوَانَ مَنْ قَدْ

عُنِيَتْ بِحُبِّهِمْ مُنْذُ الْفِصَالِ

Are you not of the sons of Tetouan, a people whom

I have been devoted to loving since my earliest days?

عَلَيْهِمْ مَا هَفَا رِيحُ الشَّمَالِ

سَلاَمٌ تَسْتَمِدُّ بِهِ الْغَوَالِي

Upon them, so long as the north wind gently blows,

Be a peace from which all precious things draw their worth,

خُصُوصاً شَيْخَنَا رَبَّ الْكَمَالِ

أَبَا حَسَنٍ عَلِيّاً ذَا الْمَعَالِي

Especially our Sheikh, the master of perfection,

Abu Hasan Ali, the possessor of exalted ranks.

فُشُدَّ يَدَ الضَّنِينِ عَلَى وِدَادِي

فَقَلْبِيَ مِنْ وِدَادِكَ غَيْرُ سَالِ

So hold onto my affection with the firm grip of the fiercely protective,

For my heart is never forgetful of your love.

وَلَكِنْ لَمْ تُسَاعِدْنَا اللَّيَالِي

لِمَا يُرْضِي الإِخَاءَ مِنَ الْوِصَالِ

But the nights of fate did not assist us

In attaining the union that truly satisfies our brotherhood.

وَسَامِحْ مَا تَضَمَّنَهُ قَرِيضِي

مِنَ الْمَعْنَى السَّخِيفِ بِالاِرْتِجَالِ

And forgive whatever my poetry may contain

Of feeble meaning born of hasty improvisation,

فَشِعْرِي مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْقَوْلِ خَالٍ

وَفِكْرِي بِالْبَلاَغَةِ غَيْرُ حَالِي

For my verses are entirely devoid of wondrous speech,

And my mind remains unadorned by eloquence.