1. يا مَغاني الأَحبابِ صِرتِ رُسوما

    وَغَدا الدَهرُ فيكِ عِندي مَلوما

    O dwellings of loved ones, you have become traces of ruins,

    and Time, for what befell you, has earned my blame.

  2. أَلِفَ البُؤسُ عَرصَتَيكِ وَقَد كُن

    تِ لَنا قَبلُ رَوضَةً وَنَعيما

    Misery has grown familiar with your two courtyards, though you were

    once a garden and bliss for us.

  3. رَحَلَ الظاعِنونَ عَنكِ وَأَبقَوا

    في حَواشي الأَحشاءِ حُزناً مُقيما

    The departing travelers left you, and left behind

    in the recesses of the heart an abiding sorrow.

  4. أَينَ تِلكَ الظِباءُ أَصبَحنَ في الحُس

    نِ بُدوراً وَفي البَعادِ نُجوما

    Where are those gazelles, who became in beauty

    full moons, and in their remoteness, stars?

  5. قَد وَجَدنَ السُلُوَّ بَرداً سَلاماً

    إِذ وَجَدنا الهَوى عَذاباً أَليما

    They have found forgetting to be coolness and peace,

    while we have found love a painful torment.

  6. يا أَبا الفَضلِ وَالَّذي وَرِثَ الفَض

    لَ عَنِ الفَضلِ حادِثاً وَقَديما

    O Abu al-Fadl, you who inherited excellence

    from al-Fadl, both new and old.

  7. قَد لَعَمري أَعدَت شَمائِلُكَ الدَه

    رَ فَأَضحى مِن بَعدِ لُؤمٍ كَريما

    Indeed, by my life, your virtues have infected Time,

    and it has become generous after its meanness.

  8. لَكَ مِن ذي الرِئاسَتَينِ خِلالٌ

    مُعطَياتٌ في المَجدِ حَظّاً جَسيما

    You have virtues from Dhu al-Riyasatayn,

    granting you an immense share of glory.

  9. جُمَلٌ فيكَ لَو قُسِمنَ عَلى النا

    سِ لَما أَصبَحَ اللَئيمُ لَئيما

    Stores of virtue in you, if divided among the people,

    would leave no base man base.

  10. شِيَمٌ غَضَّةٌ تَروحُ وَتَغدو

    أَرَجاً في هُبوبِها وَنَسيما

    Fresh virtues that go forth at dusk and dawn,

    as fragrance in their wafting, and as a breeze.

  11. قَد تَعالَت بِكَ المَآثِرُ حَتّى

    قَد حَسِبناكَ لِلسِماكِ نَديما

    Your glorious deeds have raised you so high

    that we have thought you al-Simak's boon companion.

  12. كُلَّ يَومٍ آمالُنا فيكَ لِلأَم

    رِ الرِئاسِيِّ تَقتَضيكَ النُجوما

    Each day our hopes in you, for the work

    of leadership, exact their installments from you.

  13. آلَ سَهلٍ أَنتُم غُيوثُ بَني سا

    سانَ جوداً وَنَجدَةً وَحُلوما

    O house of Sahl, you are the rains of the sons of

    Sasan, in generosity, valor, and forbearance.

  14. أَيُّ فَضلٍ وَأَيُّ بَذلٍ وَجودٍ

    لَم يُحالِف ذا الجودِ إِبراهيما

    What excellence, what giving and generosity

    has not allied itself with Ibrahim, the generous one?

  15. كَسرَوِيُّ تَلقاهُ في الحَربِ لَيثاً

    قَسورِيّاً وَفي النَدِيِّ حَكيما

    Khosrow-like, in war you find him a lion,

    fierce, and in the assembly a sage.

  16. واضِحُ الوَجهِ وَالفَعالِ إِذا ما

    كانَ وَجهُ الزَمانِ جَهماً بَهيما

    Radiant of face and deed, whenever

    the face of Time is scowling and dark.

  17. هِبرِزِيٌّ قَد نالَ مِن كُلِّ فَنٍّ

    مِن فُنونِ الآدابِ حَظّاً عَظيما

    An accomplished man, who has gained from every branch

    of the literary arts a mighty share.

  18. وَرَقيقُ الأَلفاظِ يَرصُفُ في الأَس

    ماعِ دُرّاً وَلُؤلُؤاً مَنظوما

    And delicate in diction, he arrays in the ears

    fine pearls and pearls strung together.

  19. أَتعَبَتهُ العُلا فَأَبقَت نُدوباً

    مُتعَباتٍ بِجِسمِهِ وَكُلوما

    Greatness has wearied him, leaving scars

    that afflict his body, and wounds.

  20. فَتَراهُ في حالَةٍ مَحسوداً

    وَتَراهُ في حالَةٍ مَرحوما

    So you see him in one state envied,

    and in another you see him pitied.

  21. كُلَّ يَومٍ يُفيدُهُ البَذلُ وَالجو

    دُ مَتى كانَ ظاعِناً أَو مُقيما

    Every day, giving and generosity bring him—

    whether he is traveling or staying—

  22. حَمدَ عافٍ وَذَمَّ لاحٍ فَيَغدو

    في جَزيلِ اللُهى حَميداً ذَميما

    a supplicant's praise and a censurer's blame; so he becomes,

    amid lavish gifts, both praised and blamed.