1. أَعَلقَمُ قَد صَيَّرَتني الأُمورُ

    إِلَيكَ وَما كانَ لي مَنكَصُ

    O ʿAlqam, events have brought me

    to you, and I had nowhere to retreat.

  2. كَساكُم عُلاثَةُ أَثوابَهُ

    وَوَرَّثَكُم مَجدَهُ الأَحوَصُ

    ʿUlātha clothed you in his robes,

    and al-Aḥwaṣ bequeathed his glory to you.

  3. وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ وَإِن أَفحَلوا

    إِذا عايَنوا فَحلَكُم بَصبَصوا

    And every people, though they have stallions,

    wag their tails when they behold your stallion.

  4. وَإِن فَحَصَ الناسُ عَن سَيِّدٍ

    فَسَيِّدُكُم عَنهُ لا يُفحَصُ

    And if people search for a chief,

    then your chief needs no searching out.

  5. فَهَل تُنكَرُ الشَمسُ في ضَوئها

    أَوِ القَمَرُ الباهِرُ المُبرِصُ

    So can the sun go unrecognized in its light,

    or the dazzling moon, gleaming white?

  6. فَهَب لي ذُنوبي فَدَتكَ النُفوسُ

    وَلا زِلتَ تَنمي وَلا تَنقُصُ

    So forgive me my sins—may souls ransom you—

    and may you never cease to grow, nor ever diminish.