1. إِلَى مثلِ لُقياكم تُزَمُّ الرّكائِب

    ونحوَكُم تُحدى القِلاص السَّلاهِب

    For a meeting such as yours, the riding camels are haltered,

    and toward you the tall, slender young she-camels are driven with song.

  2. ونورُكمُ يجلو الغَياهبَ عِندَما

    تقيِّدُ أبناءَ السّبيلِ الغَياهِب

    And your light dispels the darkness whenever

    darkness binds the wayfarers.

  3. ويُثني عليك الرَّكبُ ما أنتَ أهلُه

    وتُثني المطايا تَحتَهُم والحَقَائِب

    And the caravan praises you as you deserve,

    and the mounts beneath them and the saddlebags praise you too.

  4. وَأنت إِمَامُ العِلم غَيرَ مُنازَعٍ

    وَكَتبُكِ فِي أَهلِ الضَّلال كَتَائِب

    And you are the unrivaled leader of learning,

    and your books are battalions against those in error.

  5. وَمَا ضَرَّ قُطراً أَنتَ فيهِ مُبَرّز

    عَلَى الغَيثِ أن لا تنتحيه السَّحائِب

    And no harm comes to a land where you surpass

    the rain, if clouds do not head its way.

  6. بِكَفِّكُم واللهُ يَكلأُ حِفظها

    مَنافِعُ تُزرى بالحَيَا ومَشَارِب

    In your hand—may God keep it safe—

    are benefits that put rain to shame, and watering places.

  7. وَفي حُكمِك الفصلُ المُنَزّه يَستوي

    بعيدٌودانٍ أو عدُوٌّ وصاحِب

    And under your untainted, decisive judgment stand equal

    the distant and the near, or foe and friend.

  8. إذا انفَصلَ الخَصمانِ مِن عندِك ارتَضَى

    بحُكمِكَ مطلوبٌ هناكَ وطالِب

    When the two litigants leave your presence, both are content

    with your judgment—the defendant there and the claimant.

  9. وأفصحَ بالشُّكر الجزِيل كلاهما

    كأنَّ كِلا الخَصمين عِندكَ غَالِب

    And both voice abundant thanks,

    as though each litigant were a victor before you.

  10. وكان اختياري أَن أَفوزَ بِقُرِبكم

    فَتُدركَ آمالٌ وتُقضى مَآرِب

    And my choice was to gain nearness to you,

    so hopes might be attained and desires fulfilled.

  11. فكُنتُ على حين الديار بَعِيدة

    وللشَّوق منِّي والمَحَبّة جانِب

    So, while the dwellings were far away, I would—

    with longing and love holding a share of me—

  12. أحِنُّ إِليكُم كلّما مَرّ راكِبٌ

    وكُلِّي حنانٌ كلّما مرّ راكِب

    yearn for you whenever a rider passed,

    and all of me was longing whenever a rider passed.

  13. فلمّا أتاح اللهُ لي قربَ دارِكم

    دعَتني إلى زَمّ القِلاص النّوائِب

    Then, when God granted me nearness to your home,

    misfortunes summoned me to halter the young she-camels.

  14. وخاصَمَني فيكم فراقٌ عَهِدتُه

    يطاعِنُ من دون المُنَى وَيُضارِب

    And familiar separation contended with me over you,

    thrusting with spears and trading blows to bar my hopes.

  15. فَبِنتُ ولمّا أَقضِ حقّ وَداعِكم

    ويا شَدَّ ما ضاقَت عَلَيّ المذاهِب

    So I departed without yet duly bidding you farewell;

    and oh, how narrow the paths became for me!

  16. وَما عاقَني إِلا انحفازٌ بِسحرة

    أجابَت بِهِ دَعوى الحُداة النّجائب

    And nothing hindered me but a rush before dawn,

    with which the fine-bred she-camels answered the camel-drivers' call,

  17. بِلَيلٍ كقَلبي إذ حُرمت وَداعكم

    وغيثٍ كَدمعي مُستهلٌّ وساكِب

    on a night like my heart when I was denied farewell to you,

    and amid rain like my tears, pouring and streaming.

  18. فإن تسألوني بالزّمانِ وصَرفِه

    فَعِنديَ مِن ذَمّ الزمانِ عَجَائِب

    So if you ask me about time and its vicissitudes,

    then I have astonishing things to say in reproach of time.