لَها صاحِبا فَقرٍ عَلَيها وَصادِعٌ

بِها البيدَ عادِيٌّ ضَحوكٌ مَناقِلُه

It has an owner, poverty is incumbent upon it, and its sides

Are travelled by the far-extending desert, the jokester transporting it,

تُريدُ مَعَ الحَجِّ وَاِبنِ لَيلى كِلاهُما

لِصاحِبِهِ خَيرٌ تُرَجّى فَواضِلُه

You want with the Hajj and Ibn Layla’s son – both

Are best for its owner, its outstanding merits hoped for,

زِيارَةَ بَيتِ اللَهِ وَاِبنِ خَليفَةٍ

تَحَلَّبُ كَفّاهُ النَدى وَأَنامِلُه

Visiting Allah’s House and the son of the Caliph –

Dew moistens its palms and its soft places,

وَكانَ بِمِصرَ اِثنانِ ما خافَ أَهلُها

عَدُوّاً وَلا جَدباً تُخافُ هَزايِلُه

And there were two in Egypt whom its people did not fear

An enemy, nor a drought feared to diminish its plenty,

لَدُن جاوَرَ النيلَ اِبنُ لَيلى فَإِنَّهُ

يَفيضُ عَلى أَيدي المَساكينِ نايِلُه

Since he dwelt by the Nile, Ibn Layla’s son, for he

Pours forth upon the hands of the poor its obtainment,

فَأَصبَحَ أَهلُ النيلِ قَد ساءَ ظَنُّهُم

بِهِ وَاِطمَأَنَّت بَعدَ فَيضٍ سَواحِلُه

So the people of the Nile woke up with their opinion of him

Evil, and after a torrent its banks were reassured,

أَرى الناسَ إِذ خَلّى اِبنُ لَيلى مَكانَهُ

يَطوفونَ لِلغَيثِ الَّذي ماتَ وابِلُه

I see the people, when Ibn Layla's son vacated his place,

Circling around the rain whose clouds have died,

كَما طافَ أَيتامٌ بِأُمٍّ حَفِيَّةٍ

بِهِم وَأَبٍ قَد فارَقَتهُم شَمايِلُه

As orphans circle around a compassionate mother

Who cares for them, when their father his features left them,

فَقُل لِليَتامى وَالأَرامِلِ وَالَّذي

تُريدُ بِهِ أَرضَ اِبنِ لَيلى رَواحِلُه

Say to the orphans, the widows and him

Whom you want for Ibn Layla’s land its meadows to roam,

يَؤُمُّ اِبنَ لَيلى خائِفاً مِن وَرائِهِ

وَيَأمُلُ مَن تُرجى لَدَيهِ نَوافِلُه

They miss Ibn Layla fearfully from behind

And hopes for the supererogations his presence allows,

فَإِنَّ لَهُم مِنهُ وَفاءَ رَهينَةٍ

بِأَخلاقِهِ الجُلّى تَفيضُ جَداوِلُه

For they have from him as a hostage of loyalty

In his sublime traits pouring forth his streams,

أَغَرُّ نَمى الفاروقُ كَفَّيهِ لِلعُلى

وَآلُ أَبي العاصي طِوالٌ مَحامِلُه

Did Al-Farouq moisten his palms for the Most High

While the Extended House of Abu ‘l-‘Aas are its carriers?

أَرادَ اِبنَ عَشرٍ أَن يَنالَ الَّتي غَلَت

عَلى الشيبِ مِن مَجدٍ تَسامى أَطاوِلُه

The son of ten wanted to attain that which covered

The hoary head with glory, its aspirations rising high;

فَوُرِّعَ تَوريعَ الجِيادِ عِنانُهُ

فَما جاءَ حَتّى ساوَرَ الشَمسَ قايِلُه

So the steed of his endeavor was reined in,

And he did not come until the evensong was its inquirer,

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ النيلَ نَضَّبَ ماؤُهُ

وَماتَ النَدى بَعدَ اِبنِ لَيلى وَفاعِلُه

Do you not see that the Nile, its water ran out,

And dew died after Ibn Layla, its causer,

وَمُرتَهَنٍ بِالمَوتِ غالٍ فِداؤُهُ

تُسَنِّيَ عَنهُ يا اِبنَ لَيلى سَلاسِلُه

With death held ransom, the expensive his redemption,

Your chains upon him grow easy, O Ibn Layla,

وَما ضَمِنَت مِثلَ اِبنِ لَيلى ضَريحَةٌ

وَما كانَ حَيٌّ وَهوَ حَيٌّ يُعادِلُه

No tomb has guaranteed the like of Ibn Layla

And none alive equals him while he lived.