1. حَيِّ الدِيارَ وَأَهلَها أَهلا

    وَاِربَع وَقُل لِمُفَنِّدٍ مَهلا

    Greet the dwellings and their people: "Welcome!"

    And pause, and tell a reproacher: "Easy now!"

  2. حُبُّ المُدامَةِ مُذ لَهِجتُ بِها

    لَم يُبقِ لي في غَيرِها فَضلا

    Love of wine, since I became devoted to it,

    has left me nothing to spare for anything else.

  3. إِنّي نَدَبتُ لِحاجَتي رَجُلاً

    صافي السَماحَةِ وَاِحتَوى النُبلا

    Indeed, I enlisted a man to meet my need,

    pure in generosity, and possessed of nobility.

  4. وَسَمَت بِهِ الهِمَمُ العِظامُ إِلى ال

    رُتَبِ الجِسامِ فَبايَنَ المِثلا

    And great ambitions raised him to the

    lofty ranks, so he stood apart from his peers.

  5. تَلقى النَدى في غَيرِهِ عَرَضاً

    وَتَراهُ فيهِ طَبيعَةً أَصلا

    You find generosity in others an incidental trait,

    and in him you see it as nature, an inborn quality.

  6. فَاِسبِق أَيا عَبدَ الإِلَهِ بِها

    وَاِجعَل لِعَقبِكَ ذُخرَها نَجلا

    So take the lead in it, O Abd al-Ilah,

    and make its treasure a son for your posterity.

  7. كَلِّم أَخاكَ يُكَلِّمُ الفَضلا

    وَلِيَبلُني حَسَناً كَما أَبلى

    Speak to your brother; he will speak to al-Fadl,

    and let him treat me kindly, as he has done.

  8. إِنّي وَصَلتُ بِكَ الرَجاءَ عَلى

    بُعدِ المَدى إِذ كُنتَ لي أَهلا

    Indeed, I bound my hope to you, despite

    the great distance, for you were worthy of my hope.

  9. وَإِذا وَصَلتَ بِعاقِلٍ أَمَلاً

    كانَت نَتيجَةُ قَولِكَ الفِعلا

    And when you attach a hope to a wise man,

    the result of your words is action.