يجودُ على شُحِّ اللَّيالي وبخلها

ويُعدى على جور الزِّمانِ وعسْفه

He bestows generously despite the stinginess of nights,

And transgresses against the tyranny and aggression of time.

فللفقرِ من آلائه طرفُ طرفه

وللدهرِ من آرائه صِرفُ صَرْفه

So from his bounties the poor get a bit here and there,

And from his principles fate gets a reversal of its reversal.

يدبِّر مُلكاً ظلَّ منتظماً به

كعقدٍ يحلى حسنَه حسنُ وصفه

He manages a kingdom whose perfection is flawless,

Like a necklace whose beauty is enhanced by its description.

له خاطرٌ كالبرق ضوءاً وسُرعةً

فلو لاح أَودَى كُلُّ طرفِ بِخَطْفه

His mind is like lightning in brightness and speed,

So if it shined it would destroy every eye with its snatching.

يرى منه ما في النفس من قبلِ ذِكره

ومِنْ خَلْفِ ستر الغيبِ من قبل كَشْفه

He sees what is in the soul before mentioning it,

And behind the veil of the unseen before unveiling it.

وما تحسد الأَفواهُ غير يَراعه

يُضائقها في لثمها بطنُ كَفِّه

And mouths envy nothing but his pasturing,

Which cramps them in kissing the palm of his hand.

يسطر ما يَلقى السقيمُ ببرْئه

ويكتبُ ما يَلْقَى الْعَدُوُّ بحتفه

He dictates what the ailing will meet with recovery,

And records what the enemy will meet with his demise.

يُنَمْنِمُ في القِرْطاس روضاً موشعاً

له ثمرٌ كِدْنا نقوم لِقَطْفه

He nods off on parchment an abundant garden,

With fruits like pearls we stand to pluck.