شَهِدتُ لَقَد لَبِستَ أَبا سَعيدٍ

مَكارِمَ تَبهَرُ الشَرَفَ الطُوالا

I bear witness, you have donned, O Abu Sa'id

Virtues that dazzle higher nobility

إِذا حَرَّ الزَمانُ جَرَت أَيادي

نَداهُ فَغَشَّتِ الدُنيا ظِلالا

When hard times befall, your hands flow freely

Shading the world with your thick shadows

وَإِن نَفسُ اِمرِئٍ دَقَّت رَأَينا

بِعَرصَةِ جودِهِ كَرَماً جُلالا

And the soul of a man whose insight we've tested

By the arena of your generosity, sublime glory

وَقاكَ الخَطبَ قَومٌ لَم يَمُدّوا

يَميناً لِلفَعالِ وَلا شِمالا

And slog saved you from folk who never extended

A right hand to act, nor a left hand at all

أَحينَ رَفَعتَ مِن نَظَري وَعادَت

حُوَيلي في ذَراكَ الرَحبِ حالا

My gaze you've raised, and my condition returned

To my far-reaching plains a new state

وَحَفَّت بي العَشائِرُ وَالأَقاصي

عِيالاً لي وَكُنتُ لَهُم عِيالا

And tribes and far lands have encircled me

As my dependents, and I was their dependent

فَقَد أَصبَحتُ أَكثَرَهُم عَطاءً

وَقَبلَكَ كُنتُ أَكثَرَهُم سُؤالا

So I've become, greater than them in bounty

And before you, greater than them asking

إِذا شَفَعوا إِلَيَّ فَلا خُدوداً

يَقونَ مِنَ الهَوانِ وَلا نِعالا

When they intercede with me, no shame they feel

From disgrace, or bare feet on the ground

أُتَعتِعُ في الحَوائِجِ إِن خِفافاً

غَدَوتُ بِها عَلَيكَ وَإِن ثِقالا

I clamber about needs, if lightly I went

To you with them or heavily I vent

إِذا ما الحاجَةُ اِنبَعَثَت يَداها

جَعَلتَ المَنعَ مِنكَ لَها عِقالا

If need sends forth its hands, you've made

Refusing it, for it, an impossibility

فَأَينَ قَصائِدٌ لي فيكَ تَأبى

وَتَأنَفُ أَن أُهانَ وَأَن أُذالا

Where are poems for me about you that refuse

And disdain that I be disgraced or humiliated

مِنَ السِحرِ الحَلالِ لِمُجتَنيهِ

وَلَم أَرَ قَبلَها سِحراً حَلالا

Of the lawful magic to its conjurer

And I've never seen before it lawful magic

فَلا يَكدُر غَديرُكَ لي فَإِنّي

أَمُدُّ إِلَيكَ آمالاً طِوالا

So your stream for me is never disturbed, for I

Extend to you hopes, long lasting

وَفِر جاهي عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّ جاهاً

إِذا ما غَبَّ يَوماً صارَ مالا

And bestow on you my glory, for glory indeed

If one day absent, becomes but riches