أبا العَلاءِ تلَقّاكَ الزّمانُ بِما

تهْوى وأجْنَتْ لكَ الدّنْيا مَجانِيها

O Abul Ala, time has welcomed you with

What you love, and life has yielded its treasures to you freely.

وأسْعَدَ اللهُ بيْتاً أنتَ عامرُهُ

وشيّدَ العِزُّ عُلْيا أنْتَ بانِيها

God has blessed a house you inhabit

And glory has built high mansions with you as builder.

هديّتي لكَ وُدٌّ لوْ بعَثْتُ به

لمْ يسْتَطِعْ حمْلُهُ الدُنْيا ومَنْ فِيها

My gift to you is a love that, were I

To send it forth, the world and all in it could not bear its weight.

وقُدْرَةُ الوقْتِ إنْ فكّرتُ تقْصُرُ عنْ

نفْسي وتقصُرُ نفْسي عنْ أمانِيها

The power of time, if I reflect, falls short

Of my soul, and my soul falls short of her desires.

وقدْ بعثْتُ بنَزْرِ القَدْرِ محْتَقَرٍ

إنّ الهَدايا على مِقدارِ مُهْديها

So I have sent a meager measure, though gifts

Are measured by the substance of the giver.

فانْظُرْ بعيْنِ الرِّضى والسّمْحِ لا نظَرَتْ

عيْنُ العدوِّ لمَرْأىً فيكَ يُرْضيها

Look upon it with the eye of approval and grace, not the

Gaze of a foe who seeks in you cause for displeasure.