وَما كُنتُ أَخشى أَن أَبيتَ وَبَينَنا

خَليجانِ وَالدَربُ الأَشَمُّ وَآلِسُ

I did not fear that I would spend the night, while between us

Were two gulfs, and the path was rugged and winding,

وَلا أَنَّني أَستَصحِبُ الصَبرَ ساعَةً

وَلي عَنكَ مَنّاعٌ وَدونَكَ حابِسُ

Nor did I think that I would need patience for a while,

For I have a protector against you, and a watcher over you.

يُنافِسُني فيكَ الزَمانُ وَأَهلُهُ

وَكُلُّ زَمانٍ لي عَلَيكَ مُنافِسُ

Time and its people compete with me over you,

And every era for me competes with you.

شَرَيتُكَ مِن دَهري بِذي الناسِ كُلِّهُم

فَلا أَنا مَبخوسٌ وَلا الدَهرُ باخِسُ

I bought you from my fate for the price of all people combined,

So neither I am cheated, nor is fate a cheater.

وَمَلَّكتُكَ النَفسَ النَفيسَةَ طائِعاً

وَتُبذَلُ لِلمَولى النُفوسُ النَفائِسُ

And I possessed your noble soul willingly,

As noble souls are sacrificed for their master.

تَشَوَّقَني الأَهلُ الكِرامُ وَأَوحَشَت

مَواكِبُ بَعدي عِندَهُم وَمَجالِسُ

My noble kinsfolk made me longing for you and

My retinue after them and my assemblies have frightened me.

وَرُبَّتَما زانَ الأَماجِدَ ماجِدٌ

وَرُبَّتَما زانَ الفَوارِسَ فارِسُ

Often glory adorns the glorious,

And often a horseman adorns the horsemen.

رَفَعتُ عَلى الحُسّادِ نَفسي وَهَل هُمُ

وَما جَمَعوا لَو شِئتُ إِلّا فَرائِسُ

I have raised myself above the envious, what can they do?

Were I to will it, they would gather nothing but scraps.

أَيُدرِكُ ما أَدرَكتُ إِلّا اِبنُ هِمَّةٍ

يُمارِسُ في كَسبِ العُلا ما أُمارِسُ

None shall attain what I attained except the resolute,

Who vie with me at acquiring the heights.

يَضيقُ مَكاني عَن سِوايَ لِأَنَّني

عَلى قِمَّةِ المَجدِ المُؤَثَّلِ جالِسُ

My place is too narrow for anyone else, for I

Sit atop the throne of glory like a crown.

سَبَقتُ وَقَومي بِالمَكارِمِ وَالعُلا

وَإِن رَغِمَت مِن آخَرينَ المَعاطِسُ

I have outstripped my people in nobility and the heights,

Though the sneezes of others annoy me.