وَكَم كانَ لي قِدماً قَصيدٌ ومقصدٌ

أَقاما عَلى وَعدٍ بِكُفأَينِ لِلمَجدِ

How often my feet had a poem and a goal

That stood on a promise with two palms for glory

مَنازِلُ كانَت في اِنتِظارٍ لِساكِنِ

فَدونَكَ سُكناها عَلى الطائِرِ السَعدِ

Homes were waiting for an inhabitant

Below you their settlement on the auspicious bird

وَلَم يَهدِني قَصدٌ إِلى قَصدِ مَدحِهِ

فَأُطنِبَ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ عَلى القَصدِ

And no purpose guided me to the purpose of his praise

So I was eloquent unless it was on purpose

وَمِن قَبلِهِ كُنّا نُرَجّيهِ لِلمُنى

فَأَمّا لِتَحبيرِ الثَناءِ فَمِن بَعدِ

And before him we were hoping for wishes

As for the embellishment of praise, it is afterwards

عُلاً فَوقَ غياتِ المَقولِ وَمُنتَهى ال

ثناءِ وَوُسعُ الحَمدِ مِن أَوسَعِ الجَهدِ

Lofty above the extremes of speech and the utmost

Of praise, and the capacity of praise from the widest effort