يا مالكاً صرف الزمان عبده

والنائبات حين تسطو جنده

O owner of time who makes a servant of it

And armies when they gain control over its soldiers

إن مخض الخطب فأنت زبده

أو حسن الذكر فأنت نده

If speeches boil down, you are their cream

Or if mention is fair, you are its brightness

لك الجميل والندى أعتده

وفيض جود ليس يحصى عده

To you belong beauty and dew, I count them yours

And a flood of generosity that cannot be numbered

وبشر وجه رائق فرنده

محش حرب ليس يكبو زنده

And good tidings of a cheerful, delighted face

An unvanquished warrior whose weapon cannot be blunted

وصارم ليس يفل حده

وذو وفاء لا يحل عقده

A sword whose edge cannot be dulled

And one faithful who does not break his pact

شيد ما أس المجير جده

وما بناه لبنيه سعده

He built what his glorious ancestors built

And continued what he constructed for his children's joy

وشاور أكرم من تعده

قحطان إن فاخرها معده

And consulted, more generous than those he consulted

Qahtan, though their ancestry is glorious

إن سليمان أتاني رفده

من قبل أن يقرع سمعي وعده

Indeed Solomon came to me, replenishing

Before he could strike my hearing with his promise

مثل سحاب غاب عنه رعده

حتى كسا الأرض قميصاً رغده

Like a cloud from which thunder is hidden

Until it cloaked the earth in a garment of plenty

وقد أتى شعيره وقنده

تبرعاً وقمحه ونقده

Bringing his barley, wheat, and money

Voluntarily, inspecting when none heed my call thereafter

تفقداً لا راع سمعي بعده

مكرمة حلق فيها مجده

An honor which crowned his glory

Above the honorable, though they begrudged him

فوق السماك وأسف ضده

والشعر عبدي غير أني عبده

And poetry is my maid, though I am its servant

Binding me to thank and praise him

فرض علي شكره وحمده