1. يا راكباً يقْطَعُ الفَيافي

    بين ذَميلٍ وبين وَخْدِ

    O rider who crosses the desert wastes,

    now at a trot, now with swift strides,

  2. يخْفى ويبْدو بكُلِّ أرضٍ

    ما بينَ غَوْرٍ وبينَ نَجْدِ

    vanishing and appearing in every land,

    between lowland and highland:

  3. كأنَّ هَيْقاً أبا رِئالٍ

    آنَسَ بالدَّوِّ خيْلَ جُنْدِ

    like an ostrich, sire of chicks,

    that sighted a troop's horses in the waste

  4. فَشَدَّ لا يَرْعَوي لِشَرْيٍ

    ولا لِماءٍ ولا لِثَعْدِ

    and bolted, not stopping for colocynth,

    nor for water, nor for soft ripe dates,

  5. ناقَتُهُ والهَجيرُ نارٌ

    تُرْقِلُ منْ تَحْتِهِ وتَخْدي

    his she-camel, while the midday heat is fire,

    trots beneath him and strides swiftly.

  6. بَلِّغْ وزيرَ الإِمامِ قَوْلاً

    عنِ الفَصيح المُشار سَعْدِ

    Convey a message to the Imam's vizier

    from the eloquent, renowned Sa'd.

  7. فما أبو جَعْفَرٍ بوانٍ

    عن حَقِّ فَضْلٍ وحُسْنِ عهْدِ

    For Abu Ja'far is not remiss

    in giving merit its due and keeping faith:

  8. هُمامُ حَرْبٍ غَمامُ جَدْبٍ

    عِصامُ خطْبٍ مُنيفُ مجْدِ

    a champion in war, a raincloud in drought,

    a supporting cord in calamity, lofty in glory,

  9. باسِمُ ثَغْرٍ سِدادُ ثَغْرٍ

    قَريعُ دَهْرٍ صَحيحُ وُدِّ

    smiling of mouth, a stopper of frontier breaches,

    a master of his age, sincere in affection,

  10. طَوْدُ احْتِمالٍ فَتى نِزالٍ

    حَبْرُ مَقالٍ خَصيمُ لُدِّ

    a mountain of forbearance, a champion in combat,

    a sage in speech, an opponent of stubborn disputants,

  11. شامِخُ قَدْرٍ وشيكُ نَصْرٍ

    هَنيىءُ وَفْرٍ جَزيلُ رفْدِ

    lofty in rank, swift to aid,

    his wealth a delight, his gifts lavish.

  12. وقُلْ لهُ المادِحونَ كُثْرٌ

    ولا كَمَدْحي ولا كَحَمْدي

    And tell him: "Those who praise you are many,

    but none match my praise or my thanks.

  13. فاغْنَمْ حديثاً لهُ بَقاءٌ

    معي وحاشاكُمُ وبعْدي

    So secure words that will endure

    in my lifetime and after me—may you be spared.

  14. أجْدَبَتِ الأرْضُ بعد خِصْبٍ

    وأعْدَمَ الحُرُّ بعدَ وُجْدِ

    The earth has grown barren after fertility,

    and the noble man has become destitute after wealth.

  15. فكيف يُرْجى بَقاءُ نِضْوٍ

    بغير مَرْعىً وغيرِ وِرْد

    How, then, can one hope for a worn-out beast's survival

    without pasture and without water to drink?"