يا مَن بِهِ يَفتَخِرُ الفَخرُ

وَمَن بِهِ يَبتَهِجُ الشِعرُ

O you in whom pride takes pride

And in whom poetry finds joy

ما طَلَبي لِلإِذنِ أَن شاقَني

شَمسٌ مِنَ الإِنسِ وَلا بَدرُ

My wish for permission was not to burden me

A sun among men, nor a full moon

بَلى كِتابٌ أَخرَسٌ ناطِقٌ

أَنطَقَ مِنهُ طَيَّهُ النَشرُ

Rather a silent book, speaking

Made more eloquent by its cover's publication

فَاِنتَشَرَت حينَ بَدا طَيُّهُ

سَرائِرٌ يَكتُمُها الجَهرُ

So its secrets were revealed when its binding appeared

Secrets that loudness conceals

جاءَ نَذيرُ الحُزنِ في بَطنِهِ

بِحادِثٍ أَظهَرَهُ الظَهرُ

The herald of sorrow came in its belly

With an event that daybreak revealed

فَاِنهَلَّ في أَسطُرِهِ أَسطُرٌ

لِلدَمعِ سَطرٌ فَوقَهُ سَطرُ

So lines streamed in its lines

For tears, a line above a line

فَمُنَّ بِالإِذنِ عَلى نازِحٍ

عَن أَهلِهِ ساعَتُهُ دَهرُ

So bestow permission on one who complains

Of separation from his family, his time an epoch

فَقَد صَدَقتَ الظَنَّ في كُلِّ ما

رَجَوتُهُ إِذ كَذَبَ القَطرُ

For you have proven true what you hoped for

When the rain proved false