عَفْوُكُمْ مَا تَقَدُّمِي إِقْدَامُ

حَقُّ مِثْلِي عَنْ مِثْلِهِ الإِحْجَامُ

Your pardon, what my boldness presumes

Is meet for one like me to shun and fear

إِنَّمَا هَيَّأَ الدعَاةُ نِظَاماً

وَاقْتَضَانِي فِيمَا يُقَالُ النِّظَامُ

The conveners but ordained a scheme

And my place in what's said, decorum, hear

جَعَلَ البِدْءَ لِلضَّعِيفِ ابْتِدَاءً

وَإِلَى الأَقْدَرِينَ رَدَّ الخِتَامُ

They gave the weak to first begin in turn

And to the mighty ones conclude in full

أَيُّ شَأْنٍ كَشَأْنِ مَنْ يَخْتِمُ

القَوْلَ إِذَا مَا تَبَارَتِ الأَعْلامُ

What station equals his who gets to end

The word when th' luminous all concur?

رَاعَ نَفْسِي هَذَا المُقَامَ بِمَا

اسْتَعْصَيٍ عَلَيْهَا وَقَدْ يَرُوعُ المَقَامُ

I've gauged myself in this standing-place

Too stiff for me, although stood makes one blanch

مَا مُقَامِي لَدَى إِفَاضَتِهِ فَيَّاضٌ

وَأَلْفَاظهُ العَذَابُ سِجَامُ

My standing before his pouring-forth profuse

His words sheer torment and all links entrammel

وَإِذَا أَشْجَتِ المَسَامِعَ مَيٌّ

بِكَلامٍ فَهَلْ لِمِثْلِي كَلامُ

And if his waters well the ears' crevice

Can one like me have utterance apt?