مَن كان يَخْدُمُ بالخُطا كُبَراءه

فأنا امْرؤٌ خَطَراتُه خُطُواتُهُ

Whoever serves the great ones with mistakes

I am a man whose steps are his dangers

ولقد تتابَعَ خِدْمتايَ لمَاجِدٍ

مُتَتابعٍ للزّائرين هِباته

And my service has certainly continued to the glorious

Whose gifts continue for the visitors

ألِفِيّةٌ في إثْرها لامِيّةٌ

كُلٌّ حَكتْه بدُرِّها كلِماته

A thousand after it illiterate

Each told by its full moon his words

وإذا المُنكَّرُ عَرّفَتْه لسامعٍ

ألِفٌ ولامٌ فارقَتْ نَكِراته

And if the denier introduced him to a listener

An alif and lam separated his denials