1. بِرَأيِكُمُ أَمسى الزَمانُ مُدارا

    وَكانَ مَخوفاً قَبلَكُم وَمُدارى

    By your counsel, time has come to be governed,

    and before you it was feared and appeased.

  2. وَرُبَّ طَليقٍ قَد أَسَرتُم بِكَفِّكُم

    كَذا طُلَقاءُ المَكرُماتِ أَسارى

    And many a free man have you taken captive with your hand;

    thus those whom generosity frees are captives.

  3. سَأُنصِفُ أَصنافَ القَوافي بِمَدحِهِ

    فَإِنَّ القَوافي في عُلاهُ غَيارى

    I shall do justice to the varied rhymes by praising him,

    for the rhymes are jealous rivals for his glory.

  4. فَإِن أَبصَروا في الطِرسِ أَثْرَ مِدادِهِ

    فَذَلِكَ سَبقٌ قَد أَثارَ غُبارا

    For if they see upon the page the trace of his ink,

    then that is a lead that has stirred up dust.

  5. تَفيضُ لَنا كَفّاً وَلِلَهِ مُقلَةً

    فَتَجتَمِعُ الأَنواءُ مِنكَ غِزارا

    Your hand overflows for us, and your eye for God,

    so abundant rainstorms gather from you.

  6. وَتَقدَحُ نارَ الحَربِ مِن أَزنُدِ الظُبا

    فَتُرسِلُ مِن فَيضِ الدِماءِ شَرارا

    And you strike war's fire from the fire-sticks of sword-blades,

    then send forth sparks from the flood of blood.