أَرى فِكرَتي في فُنونِ القَري

ضِ تَأَتي بِأَشباهِ دُرٍّ نَظيمِ

I see my thoughts in the arts of poetry

Come with pieces like well-strung pearls

وَفي الشُكرِ ما مِن يَدٍ لي تَطولُ

وَلَو خَطَبوهُ بِطَولٍ جَسيمِ

And in gratitude, I have no hands that reach

Even if they sought it with great effort

فَلا شُكرَ عِندي سِوى ما رَهَن

تُ عِندَ الكَريمِ اِبنِ عَبدِ الكَريمِ

So I have no thanks but what I have pledged

To the generous, son of the generous

بِما خَصَّني حادِثاً مِن نِداهُ

وَما عَمَّني كَرَماً في القَديمِ

For how he endowed me recently with his gift

And how he blanketed me in generosity of old

تَطَوَّقتُها مِلءَ جيدٍ لَهُ

قَلائِدَ مُتَّضِحاتُ الوُسومِ

I adorned it, full of praise for him

With necklaces, their symbols clearly shining

غَمامُ سَماحٍ إِذا ما أَظَلَّ

تَمَزَّقَ عَنّي لَيلُ الغُمومِ

A cloud of generosity, when it shaded me

My night of gloom was ripped away

سَما بِيَ فَوقَ المُنى جاهُهُ

فَأَقبَضَني عالِياتِ النُجومِ

He took me high above wishes

And grasped me, most exalted stars

وَأَشرَكَني الجودُ في مالِهِ

إِلى أَن حَلَلتُ مَحَلَّ القَسيمِ

And generosity made me partner in his wealth

Until I came to the place of a full partner

وَلَستُ أُعَرِّضُ كَالمُستَزيدِ

وَلَكِن أُصَرِّحُ كَالمُستَديمِ

I do not turn away like one asking for more

But profess loyalty like one who continues

فَإيهٍ فِدىً لَكَ تَفسي الَّتي

بِكَ اِنتُشِطَت مِن عِقالِ الهُمومِ

What loss for you who interpret what

Has been combed from the shackles of worries

لِأَذمَمتَ لي مِن صَروفِ الزَمانِ

وَغَيرُكَ رَبُّ الذِمامِ الذَميمِ

You have protected me from the turns of fate

While others are lords of the vile blame

فَلِلَهِ دَرُّكَ مِن ماجِدٍ

أَخي خُلُقٍ في المَعالي عَظيمِ

So may your greatness last, my brother

Noble of manner, grand in the highest

أَلوفٍ لِطولِ ثَواءِ الضُيو

فِ لا بِالمَلولِ وَلا بِالسَؤومِ

Thousands for the length of your shelter

With neither boredom nor worries

طَلَعتُ عَلَيهِ غَداةَ الوَداعِ

بِجِدَّةِ وَجهي غَداةَ القُدومِ

I came upon him the morning of farewell

With my face smiling the morning of arrival

وَعاهَدَني جودُهُ ظاعِناً

على أَن يَراني بِعَينِ المُقيمِ

And his generosity pledged to me in earnest

To see me with the eye of one staying

فَلا زالَ مَجدُكَ يا اِبنَ الكِرا

مِ غُرَّةَ وَجهِ الزَمانِ البَهيمِ

So your glory lasts, son of generosity

Fresh face of the uncouth times

كَذَلِكَ ما صَقَلَت لِلعُيونِ

مُتونَ الرِياضِ أَكُفُّ الغُيومِ

Just so what the gardens have polished for eyes

The clouds' densest veils.