أَنتَ يا اِبنَ الرَبيعِ أَلزَمتَني النُس

كَ وَعَوَّدتِنيهِ وَالخَيرُ عادَه

You, O Ibn al-Rabi', have bound me to the path of devotion,

And accustomed me to it, for virtue is but a habit.

فَاِرعَوى باطِلي وَأَقصَرَ حَبلي

وَتَبَدَّلتُ عِفَّةً وَزَهادَه

My vanity has desisted, and my tether has been shortened,

And I have exchanged my old ways for chastity and asceticism.

لَو تَراني ذَكَرتَ لِلحَسَنِ البَص

رِيِّ في حُسنِ سَمتِهِ أَو قَتادَه

Were you to see me, you would recall Al-Hasan of Basra

In the excellence of his bearing, or even Qatadah.

المَسابيحُ في ذِراعي وَالمُص

حَفُ في لُبَّتي مَكانَ القِلادَه

The prayer beads are wrapped around my arm, and the Scripture

Rests upon my chest, taking the place of a necklace.

وَإِذا شِئتَ أَن تَرى طُرفَةً تَع

جَبُ مِنها مَليحَةً مُستَفادَه

And if you wish to behold a rare curiosity,

At which you will marvel—a beautiful, gained benefit—

فَاِدعُ بي لا عَدِمتَ تَقويمَ مِثلي

وَتَفَطَّن لِمَوضِعِ السُجّادَه

Then summon me—may you never lack the power to reform one like me—

And examine the spot marked by the prayer rug.

تَرَ أَثراً مِنَ الصَلاةِ بِوَجهي

توقِنِ النَفسُ أَنَّها مِن عِبادَه

You will see a trace of prayer imprinted upon my face,

Which the soul knows with certainty comes from true worship.

لَو رَآها بَعضُ المُرائينَ يَوماً

لَاِشتَراها يُعِدُّها لِلشَهادَه

If some of the hypocrites were to see it one day,

They would purchase it to hold in readiness for giving testimony.

وَلَقَد طالَ ما شَقيتُ وَلَكِن

أَدرَكَتني عَلى يَدَيكَ السَعادَه

For a long time indeed have I been wretched, but now,

True happiness has overtaken me at your hands.