يَا ابْنَ الأُلَى حَوَتِ الْمَفَاخِرَ كُلَّهَا

قِدْماً وَأَنْهَلَهَا الْعَلاَءُ وَعَلَّهَا

O son of forefathers who encompassed all glories,

Since ancient times, whom greatness gave to drink time and again.

وَعُلاَكَ أَوْ وَحُلاَكَ وَهْوَ يَمِينُ مَنْ

بَهَرَتْهُ آيٌ مِنْهُمَا فَتَوَلَّهَا

By your eminence, or your virtues—an oath sworn by one

Dazzled by a marvel from both, who then devoted himself to them:

مَا أَنْتَ إِلاَّ مُزْنَةٌ مِنْ نَائِلٍ

قَالَ الْعُلاَ يَا فَضْلُ قُمْ فَتَوَلَّهَا

You are nothing but a raincloud of pure bounty;

Nobility said: "O Grace, arise and take its charge!"

وَالْفَضْلُ أَفْضَلُ مَا تَوَلَّى أَمْرَ مَنْ

رَبَطَ الْفَضَائِلَ بِالْفِعَالِ وَحَلَّهَا

And grace is most excellent when governing the affairs of him

Who binds virtues to noble actions and resolves them.

فَسَمَا لَهَا فَأَمَالَهَا وَأَسَالَهَا

وَأَجَلَّهَا وَأَقَلَّهَا وَأَهَلَّهَا

So he ascended to the cloud, inclined it, and made it flow,

He exalted it, bore its weight, and poured it forth.

فَاهْتَزَّ مَوْقِعُهَا الْجَمَادُ وَلَمْ يَنَلْ

مِنْ غَيْمِهَا ذِي الْجَوْدِ إِلاَّ طَلَّهَا

Thus the barren earth stirred where it fell, though it received

From those generous clouds nothing but a gentle dew.