1. كيف لا يفتدي ليَ الدَّهر عَبْداً

    وأَنا عَبْدُ عَبْدِ عبدِ الرَّحيمِ

    How could Time not ransom itself to me as a slave,

    when I am the slave of the slave of Abd al-Rahim?

  2. بدوامِ الأَجلِّ سَيِّدنا الفا

    ضلِ يا دولةَ الأَفاضلِ دُومي

    Through the enduring life of our most august master al-Fa-

    dil, O dominion of the eminent, endure!

  3. إذْ أَراهُ ينوبُ عنِّي لدى الملْ

    كِ مَنَابَ الأَرواحِ عندَ الجسومِ

    For I see him act on my behalf before the

    king, playing the role that souls play in bodies;

  4. مالكُ الحلِّ في الممالكِ والعَقْ

    دِ وَحُكْمِ التّحليلِ والتّحريمِ

    Master of unbinding throughout the kingdoms and of

    binding, and of ruling on what is lawful and forbidden;

  5. مُعْمِلٌ للنَفاذِ في كلِّ قطرٍ

    قَلَماً حاكماً على إقليمِ

    Setting to work, to exert authority in every land,

    a pen that rules over a province;

  6. تتلقّى الملوكُ في كلِّ أرضٍ

    كُتْبَهُ القادماتِ بالتّعظيمِ

    Kings in every land receive

    his letters as they arrive, with reverence.

  7. ناحلُ الجسمِ ذو خطابٍ به يَصْ

    غُرُ للدَّهرِ كلُّ خَطْبٍ جسيمِ

    Lean of body, with speech through which

    every mighty calamity of Time grows small.