زَايَلتُ ما صَنَعوا إِلَيكَ بِرِحلَةٍ

عَجلَى وَعِندَكَ عَنهُمُ مُتَحَوَّلُ

I have left what they did to you with a hasty journey,

And with you I have changed my attitude about them.

وَوَعدتَني في حاجَتي فَصَدَقتَني

وَوَفَيتَ إِذ كَذَبوا الحَديثَ وَبَدَّلوا

You promised me regarding my need and were truthful to me,

And fulfilled when they lied in speech and altered.

وَشَكَوتُ غُرماً فادِحاً فَحَمَلتَهُ

عَنّي وَأَنتَ لِمِثلِهِ مُتَحَمِّلُ

I complained of a tremendous debt, so you bore it

From me while you bear the like of it.

فَأَعِد فِدىً لَكَ ما أَحوزُ بِنِعمَةٍ

أُخرَى يُرَبُّ بِها نَداكَ الأَوَّلُ

So I will pay ransom to you from what I gain of

Another blessing by which the first of your gifts thrives.

فَلأَشكُرَنَّ لَكَ الَّذي أَولَيتَني

شُكراً تَحُلُّ بِهِ المَطِيُّ وَتَرحَلُ

So I will thank you for what you conferred on me,

Thanks that will make residency pleasant and the visitor depart.

مِدَحاً تَكونُ لَكُم غَرائِبُ شِعرِها

مَبذولَةً وَلِغَيرِكُم لا تُبذَلُ

Praise that will make its strange poems for you

Offered while to others they are not offered.

فَإِذا تَنَخَّلتُ القَريضَ فَإِنَّهُ

لَكُمُ يَكونُ خيارُ ما أَتَنَخَّلُ

So when I cull poetry, it will be for you

The choicest of what I cull.

أُثنِي عَلَيكُم ما بَقيتُ فَإِن أَمُت

تَخلُد غَرائِبُها لَكُم تَتَمَثَّلُ

I will praise you as long as I live, so if I die

Its marvels for you will be immortalized.

وَلَعَمرُ مَن حَجَّ الحَجيجُ لِبَيتِهِ

تَهوي بِهِم قُلُصُ المَطِيِّ الذُّمَّلُ

By the life of the One to whom the pilgrims pilgrimaged to His House,

The hips of the pacer sway towards them.

إِنَّ امرَأً قَد نالَ مِنكَ قَرابَةً

يَبغي مَنافِعَ غَيرِها لَمُضَلَّلُ

A man has attained kinship from you,

Yet he seeks benefits other than it, gone astray.

تَعفو إِذا جَهِلوا بِحِلمِكَ عَنهُمُ

وَتُنِيلُ إِن طَلَبوا النَوالَ فَتُجزِلُ

You pardon when they are ignorant of your forbearance from them,

And you give if they request gifts and are generous.

وَتَكونُ مَعقِلَهُم إِذا لَم يُنجِهِم

مِن شَرِّ ما يَخشَونَ إِلا المَعقِلُ

And you are their refuge if none can save them

From the evil they fear but the refuge.

حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ يُتَّقى بِكَ دونَهُم

مِن أُسدِ بيشَةَ خادِرٌ مُتَبَسِّلُ

Until it is as if by you they are protected

From a roaring lion of Bišah withdrawing relaxed.

وَأَراكَ تَفعَلُ ما تَقولُ وَبَعضُهُم

مذِقُ الحَديثِ يَقولُ ما لا يَفعَلُ

I see you do what you say while some of them,

Tasters of speech, say what they do not do.

وَأَرى المَدينَةَ حينَ صِرتَ أَميرَها

أَمِنَ البَريءُ بِها وَنامَ الأَعزَلُ

I see the city, when you became its emir,

The innocent one was safe in it and the vulnerable slept.