يا أَيُّها السَّيِّدُ الذي شَهِدَتْ

ألْفاظُهُ لِي بأنَّهُ فاضِلْ

O lord whose words testified to me

That he is virtuous

حاشاكَ مِنْ أنْ أَجُوعَ فِي بَلَدٍ

وَأَنْتَ بالرِّزْقِ فيهِ لِي كافِلْ

Far be it from you that I hunger in a land

While you provide for me

ألَمْ تكُنْ قد أخَذْتَ عارِيَةً

مِنْ شَرْطِها أنْ تُرَدَّ في العاجِلْ

Did you not take a loan

On the condition that it be returned promptly?

وَكانَ عَزْمِي عندَ الوصولِ بكُمْ

أجْمَلَ مِنْ أنْ أُساقَ لِلْحاصِلْ

And my resolve upon reaching you

Was more beautiful than being led to reap

ما كانَ مِثْلِي بُعِيرُهُ أَحَدٌ

قَطُّ وَلكن سَيِّدِي جاهِلْ

None like me, his camel one

Ever, but my lord is ignorant

لو جرَّسُوهُ علسَّ مِنْ سَفَهٍ

لَقُلْتُ غَيْظاً عليه يِسْتاهِلْ

If they bridled him out of foolishness

I would say angrily he deserves it

طالَ بِي شَوْقٌ إلَى وَطَنِي

والشَّوْقُ داءٌ لا ذُقْتَهُ قاتِل

I long for my homeland

And longing is an illness whose bitterness kills

وَبُغْيَتِي أنْ أَكُونَ سائِبَةً

مِنْ بَلَدِي في جَوانِبِ السَّاحِلْ

My wish is to wander

From my land on the edges of the coast

لا تَطْمَعُوا أنْ أَكونَ عِنْدَكُمْ

فذاكَ ما لا يَرُومُهُ العاقِلْ

Do not hope that I will be with you

For that is not what the reasonable desires

وبَعْدَ هذا فما يَحِلُّ لكُمْ

مِلْكِي فإني مِنْ سَيِّدِي حامِلْ

And after this it is not permissible for you

To possess me, for I carry my lord’s property