1. يا سيِّدي عِشتَ لي وبَعدِي

    وأرضُ نعليكَ صَحنُ خَدِّي

    O my lord, may you live for me and outlive me;

    And the ground beneath your sandals is the flat of my cheek.

  2. بعثتُ يا سَيدي كِتابا

    إلَى حِماكُم وإنَّ قَصدِي

    I sent, my lord, a letter

    To your sanctuary, and my purpose is

  3. أبنِي عليه أساسَ نَظمٍ

    يفوقُ في الحُسنِ نظمَ عِقدِ

    To build upon it the foundation of a poem

    Surpassing in beauty the stringing of a necklace.

  4. موضُوعُه مِيزَةٌ أراهَا

    في كرَة الأرضِ ذاتُ فقدِ

    Its theme is a distinction I see

    To be missing from the globe of the earth.

  5. وَهيَ أن الرشيدَ لمَّا

    شاعِرُه يَجتَدِي لِرِفدِ

    And it is that al-Rashid, when

    His poet sought a gift,

  6. إبعث إليهِ به وهَذِي

    والحمدُ للهِ أيُّ حَمدِ

    Said, “Send it to him!”—and this,

    And praise be to God—what praise!—

  7. لم تَبقَ إلا لَدَيكُمُ مَع

    شاعِرِكَ الفردِ أيُّ فردِ

    Remains only with you, alongside

    Your peerless poet—how peerless!

  8. وذي مُلوكُ الورَى جَميعا

    شَرقا وغَربا وخَلفَ هِندِ

    And here are all the kings of humankind,

    In the East and the West, and beyond India:

  9. بٍِواحدٍ منهُمُ فكَِّب

    قَولِي هذا علَى التَّحَدِّي

    With one of them, then refute

    This claim of mine—I challenge you.

  10. أما تَرى الآنَ صِدقَ قَولي

    وخِبرَتِي بالوَرَى ونَقدِي

    Do you not now see the truth of my claim,

    And my knowledge of humankind and my discernment,

  11. وفَرطَ غَوصِي علَى خَبايَا

    كَنزِ مَزايَا لكُم ومَجدِ

    And how deeply I dive for the hidden riches

    Of your treasure of virtues and glory?

  12. وكم إذا ما اكتَشَفت منها

    نَزراً أرَانِي حليفَ رُشد

    And how often, when I uncovered something of them—

    Even a little—it showed me an ally of sound judgment,

  13. مُجدِّدا للرشيدِ عَهدا

    وكوكَبا في سَمَاء سَعدِ

    One renewing the era of al-Rashid,

    And a star in a sky of good fortune,

  14. وفَخرِ غربٍ على سِوَاه

    وماجِداً عَن أبٍ وجَدِّ

    And the pride of the West over all else,

    And noble by descent from father and grandfather,

  15. ومُعجزِ الواصِفين طُرَّا

    ومَن مَزاياه دون عَدِّ

    And one who baffles all who describe him,

    And one whose virtues are beyond counting.

  16. عندكَ كَم من جميلِ فِعلِ

    فىَّ وشُكرِ الجَميل عِندِي

    How many fine deeds you have done

    For me; gratitude for kindness is mine.

  17. قَلبي وحُبِّي وكلُّ شِعري

    إليكَ أُهدشي إليك أُهدي

    My heart, my love, and all my poetry

    To you I offer—to you I offer.

  18. وبك إن يَفتخر ويَزهَى

    شاعرُك المُفرَدُ المُفَدِّي

    And if he takes pride in you and exults,

    Your peerless poet, who offers himself as ransom,

  19. فَصُل به وافتخِر وأعلِن

    إخلاصَه واحتفاظَ عَهدِ

    Then show your might through him, take pride, and proclaim

    His devotion and his keeping of the pledge.

  20. كيفَ ولي أنتَ عند ضَيقي

    يا خيرَ مولى لِخيرِ عبدِ

    How could it be otherwise, when you are there for me in my distress,

    O best master to the best servant!