قُل لأمينِ المُلْكِ عن عَبْدِه

مَقالةً يَصْدُقُ مَن قالها

Tell the keeper of the kingdom, about his servant,

Words that are true to whoever utters them.

أعني أبا حَرْبٍ حليفَ العُلا

ومُبلِغَ الأقوامِ آمالَها

I mean Abu Harb, ally of the sublime,

And conveyor of hopes to the people.

يَفتخِرُ المجدُ بأنْ حازَهُ

وتَزدَهي العَلياءُ أنْ نالها

Glory prides itself on attaining him,

And the exalted flourish because he reached them.

باقٍ على حالِ العَطايا وقد

غَيَّرتِ الأيّامُ أحْوالها

Remaining as he was in his generosity, though

The days have changed their circumstances.

أَرْوعُ ما زالتْ له هِمّةٌ

يَحارُ مَن شاهدَ أفضالها

The most magnificent thing about him is an ambition

That bewilders whoever witnesses its virtues.

ألقَتْ مُلوكُ الأرضِ في كَفِّهِ

خَزائنَ الدُّنيا وأَمْوالها

The kings of the earth placed in his palm

The treasuries and riches of the world.

فكَفُّه مشغولةٌ بالنَّدى

تُبيحُ ما تَملِكُ سُؤّالها

So his palm was busy with bounty,

Permitting whatever its request encompasses.

فليس يوماً حِفْظُه مالَهمْ

أبلغَ من تَضْييعِه مالها

Thus no day was his safeguarding of their wealth

More effective than his squandering of his own.