أَيُّها القادِمُ مِن بَص

رَتِنا أَهلاً وَرَحبا

O you who come from the sight of our land, welcome!

O traveler arriving from our Basra, welcome and greetings to you,

Since when have you known Hamdan ibn Rahba?

How long has it been—by God—since you last saw Hamdan ibn Rahba?

مُذ مَتى عَهدُكَ بِاللَ

هِ بِحَمدانَ اِبنِ رَحبا

It was when I bid farewell and set out on my mount

He was among those I bid farewell when I set my caravan to ride,

That if it was so, the palm of the hand was cheap to obtain.

And if he remains unchanged, then I clasped a hand tender and soft,

كانَ فيما كُنتُ وَدَّع

تُ وَقَد يَمَّمتُ رَكبا

Indeed water of beauty was poured on his stature, pouring

For indeed, the waters of beauty have been poured over him in torrents,

Until cheek and temple said: enough!

Poured until his cheek and throat cried out, 'It is enough!'

فَلَئِن كانَ كَذا صا

فَحتُ رَخصَ الكَفِّ رَطبا

A chest, if it faces the eye or turns away, most excellent,

Broad of chest when facing the eye, yet when turning away, heavily laden,

So you see the hips pulling the waist’s rein pulling.

You see his hips tugging sharply at the reins of his slender waist.

وَلَقَد صُبَّ عَلى أَع

لاهُ ماءُ الحُسنِ صَبّا

صُبَّ حَتّى قالَتِ الوَج

نَةُ وَاللُبَّةُ حَسبا

أَصدَرٌ إِن واجَهَ العَي

نَ وَإِن وَلّى أَكَبّا

فَتَرى الأَردافَ يَجذِب

نَ عِنانَ الخَصرِ جَذبا