1. كل فعال العلاء يعجبني

    كأنني بالعلاء مفتون

    All of al-ʿAlāʾ’s deeds delight me,

    As though I were captivated by al-ʿAlāʾ.

  2. يحمضُّ بالمطلِ حلو موعده

    فوعده سكَّرٌ وليمون

    His promise’s sweetness turns sour with delay,

    For his promise is sugar and lemon.

  3. فداً لابن ريَّان الكرام فإنه

    أخو منن يروي بها كلّ ظمآن

    May the noble be a ransom for Ibn Rayyān, for he

    Is a man of bounties, with which he quenches every thirsty one.

  4. إذا جالَ فكري في تسرُّع جوده

    تقول القوافي إنه من سليمان

    When my thought roams over the swiftness of his generosity,

    The rhymes say, 'It is from Sulaymān.'