وَراعَ صاحِبَ كِسرى أَن رَأى عُمَراً

بَينَ الرَعِيَّةِ عُطلاً وَهوَ راعيها

The keeper of Ctesiphon was amazed when he saw

Umar among the people, while he was their shepherd,

وَعَهدُهُ بِمُلوكِ الفُرسِ أَنَّ لَها

سوراً مِنَ الجُندِ وَالأَحراسِ يَحميها

And his covenant with the kings of Persia was that

It had walls of soldiers and guards protecting it.

رَآهُ مُستَغرِقاً في نَومِهِ فَرَأى

فيهِ الجَلالَةَ في أَسمى مَعانيها

He saw him drowned in his sleep, so he saw

In him majesty in its highest meanings,

فَوقَ الثَرى تَحتَ ظِلِّ الدَوحِ مُشتَمِلاً

بِبُردَةٍ كادَ طولُ العَهدِ يُبليها

Above the ground, under the shade of the tent, wrapped

In a cloak, which the length of time had nearly worn threadbare.

فَهانَ في عَينِهِ ما كانَ يَكبُرُهُ

مِنَ الأَكاسِرِ وَالدُنيا بِأَيديها

So there became small in his eyes what he used to magnify

Of emperors, and the world in their hands,

وَقالَ قَولَةَ حَقٍّ أَصبَحَت مَثَلاً

وَأَصبَحَ الجيلُ بَعدَ الجيلِ يَرويها

And he said a saying of truth which became a parable,

And generation after generation narrates it:

أَمِنتَ لَمّا أَقَمتَ العَدلَ بَينَهُمُ

فَنِمتُ نَومَ قَريرِ العَينِ هانيها

"You felt secure when you established justice among them,

So you slept the sleep of the clear-eyed, calm."