1. بحمدك لا بحمد الناس أضحي

    وكيلي ليس يكفيه وكيلُ

    By praising you, not other people, I have come to this:

    My steward cannot make do with a single steward.

  2. وكانوا كلّما كالوا وزنا

    فصرنا كلما وزنوا نكيلُ

    And whenever they measured out, we weighed;

    now, whenever they weigh, we measure out.

  3. وزدت من العيال وذاك أنّي

    كتبت على لقائك من أعولُ

    And I took on more dependents, because I

    listed those I support upon meeting you.

  4. وعشت وناقصٌ رزقي فأضحى

    مفاعلتن مفاعلتن فعولُ

    And I lived with my livelihood scant; then it became

    Mufāʿalatun, mufāʿalatun, faʿūl.

  5. وكنت أبيع من سقط القوافي

    وأحجر ما تضمنت الحمولُ

    And I used to sell some scraps of rhyme,

    and withhold what the laden beasts carried,

  6. وأكتم من أبايع دِقَّ بَزّي

    ففاض عليه نائلك الجزيلُ

    and hide my fine cloth from those I traded with;

    then your abundant bounty overflowed upon it.