أَحسَنُ مِن تِسعينَ بَيتاً سُدىً

أَحسَنُ مِن تِسعينَ بَيتاً سُدىً

جَمعُكَ مَعناهُنَّ في بَيتِ

جَمعُكَ مَعناهُنَّ في بَيتِ

Better than ninety wasted verses

Better than ninety verses vainly strung

is your gathering their meaning into one verse.

Is the one verse whose meaning's truly wrung.

ما أَحوَجَ المُلكَ إِلى مَطرَةٍ

ما أَحوَجَ المُلكَ إِلى مَطرَةٍ

تَغسِلُ عَنهُ وَضَرَ الزَيتِ

تَغسِلُ عَنهُ وَضَرَ الزَيتِ

How sorely the realm needs a shower of rain

How much the rule of men stands in need

to wash the grime of oil from it!

Of one to wash away its greed.