كَلَفي ما أَراهُ عَنى يَريمُ

وَصُروفُ النَوى عَذابٌ أَليمُ

My consuming love—I see it never leave me,

and the turns of separation are an aching torment.

يا أَبا الهَيثَمِ الَّذي شَيَّدَ المَج

دَ لَهُوالِدٌ وَجَدٌّ كَريمُ

O Abū al-Haytham, for whom glo—

—ry was raised by a noble father and grandfather:

لَكَ مِن قاسِطٍ رِقابُ المَعالي

وَمِنَ النَمرِ نَجرُها وَالأَرومُ

from Qāsiṭ, the pinnacles of high honor are yours,

and from al-Namr, its stock and roots.

مَنطِقٌ صائِبٌ وَرَأيٌ أَصيلٌ

وَحِجىً راجِحٌ وَنَيلٌ رَخيمُ

Unerring speech and sound judgment,

a weighty mind and gracious bounty.

أَنا بِالوُدِّ وَالصَفاءِ زَعيمُ

وَعَلى العَهدِ وَالوفاءِ مُقيمُ

I stand surety for affection and sincerity,

and remain steadfast in covenant and faithfulness.

إِن يَكُن راعَكَ الفِراقُ فَعِندي

مِنهُ خَطبٌ أَعيا عَلَيَّ عَظيمُ

If separation has dismayed you, then with me

it is a grave ordeal too great to bear:

زَفَراتٌ تَعتادُني كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَغَرامٌ كَأَنَّهُ لِيَ غَريمُ

sighs that revisit me every day,

and passion as though it were my creditor,

إِشتِياقاً إِلى لِقائِكَ وَاللَ

هُ بِما قُلتُهُ سَميعٌ عَليمُ

from longing to meet you—and Al—

—lah hears and knows all that I have said.

فَعَلى عَيشِنا السَلامُ وَأَيّا

مٍ تَوَلَّت لَو أَنَّ عَيشاً يَدومُ

So farewell to our life together, and to day—

—s gone by—if only any life could last.

فَإِبقَ في نِعمَةٍ تَدومُ وَعِزٍّ

ما إِستَنارَت جِنحَ الظَلامِ النُجومُ

Remain amid enduring grace and might

as long as stars illumine the wing of darkness.