وكُنْتُ إِذا ما رابَنِي الدَّهْرُ مَرَّةً

وَقَدْ وَلَدَ الدَّهْرُ الْكِرامَ فَأَنْجَبا

Whenever fate troubled me time and again,

And time had begotten the generous who gave birth,

دَعَوْتُ كَرِيماً فَاسْتَجابَ لِدَعْوَتِي

أَغَرَّ إِذا ما رادَهُ الظَّنُّ أَخْصَبا

I called upon a generous one, who answered my call,

Alluring when intended by presumption most fertile.

إِذا كُنْتَ راجِي نِعْمَةٍ مِنْ مُؤَمَّلٍ

فَحَسْبِيَ أَنْ أَرْجُو الْعَمِيدَ الْمُهَذَّبا

If you seek a favor from one hoped for,

It suffices me to hope for the refined pillar.

عَسى جُودُهُ الْمأْمُولُ يَنْتاشُ هالِكاً

أَسِيرَ زَمانٍ بِالْخُطُوبِ مُعَذَّبا

May his expected generosity revive one doomed,

A prisoner of time, tortured by calamities.

أَرى الدَّهْرَ لا يَزْدادُ إِلاّ فَظاظَةً

عَلَيَّ وَلا أَزْدادُ إِلاّ تَعَتُّبا

I see time only grows increasingly violent toward me,

And I only grow increasingly plaintive.

فَكُنْ لِبَنِي الأَحْرارِ حِصْناً وَمَعْقِلاً

إِذا خانَهُمْ صَرْفُ الزَّمانِ وَخَيَّبا

So be a fortress and sanctuary for the freeborn,

When the caprice of time betrays and fails them.

سِواكَ يُعابُ الْمادِحُونَ بِنَيْلِهِ

وَغَيْرُكَ مَنْ آبى لِجَدْواهُ مَطْلَبا

Except you, those who praise are blamed for ingratitude,

And anyone else from whom glory is sought unyielding.