يَا رُبَّ مُهْدٍ هَدِيَّةً لَطُفَتْ

قَدْرَاً وَلَكِنْ مَحَلُّهَا جَلَلُ

O Lord, a gift of guidance you have kindly sent

Of value, though unassuming in its elegance

إِنَّ هَدَايَا الرِّجَالِ مُخْبِرَةٌ

عَنْ قَدْرِهِمْ قَلَّلُوا أَوِ احْتَفَلُوا

For gifts reveal the worth of those who give

In measure of their pride or nonchalance

وَقَدْ أَتَانَا الذِي بَعَثْتَ بِهِ

لاَ أَوَدٌ شَابَهُ وَلاَ خَلَلُ

This gift you’ve brought us bears no flaw within

No twist or warp its straightness to dispel

مُشْطٌ مِنَ العُودِ لَمْ تَعِبْهُ وَلاَ

مَالَتْ بِهِ خِفَّةٌ وَلاَ ثِقَلُ

A comb of fragrant wood, unspoilt, unbent

By wanton lightness or unwieldy swell

يَخْبُو اللَّحَى طِيْبَهُ وَزِيْنَتَهُ

فَهْوَ عَلَى مَعْنَيَيْنِ مُشْتَمِلُ

Concealing scent and beauty in its teeth

Bearing a dual nature and parallel

وَمُسْتَقِيْمُ المَسِيْرِ عَادِلُهُ

لَيْسَتْ لَهُ عَثْرَةٌ وَلاَ زَلَلُ

Of balanced poise, equidistant each

No stumble or misstep its strides befell

أَسْوَدُ لاَ تَسْتَبِيْنُ نُقْبَتُهُ

حِيْنَ يُوَارِيْهِ فَاحِمٌ رَجِلٌ

In blackness, undiscerning is its hue

When gripped by one with hand and wrist so hale

كَأَنَّمَا الأَشْمَطُ الكَبِيْرُ إِذَا

خَالَطَ مِنْهُ البَيَاضُ مُكْتَهِلُ

As if the mighty stallion, when imbued

With streaks of white, takes on a dappled veil

ظَرُرْتَ فِيْهِ وَكُنْتَ مُتَّبِعَاً

فِي الظَّرْفِ وَاللُّطْفِ أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ

You’ve shown such taste and delicacy, O man

I nearly lost composure in delight

لَكِدْتُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ السُّرُورِ بِهِ

آمَنُ أَنَّ المَشِيْبَ يَشْتَعِلُ

Believing age itself could be outspanned

So fiercely did my joy at it ignite