1. ضَمَّنتُها حَمداً وَشُكراً

    وَأَتَتكَ تَطلُبُ مِنكَ عُذرا

    I filled it with praise and thanks,

    and it came to you seeking your pardon.

  2. لَم أَدرِ كَيفَ أُجيبُ ما

    حَبَّرتَهُ نَظماً وَنَثرا

    I did not know how to answer what

    you composed so beautifully in verse and prose.

  3. أَرسَلتَهُ شِعراً إِلَيَّ

    وَلَو عَلِمتُ لَقُلتُ سِحرا

    You sent it to me as poetry;

    and had I known, I would have called it magic.

  4. فَنَشَرَتها حِبراً عَلَيَّ

    نَشَرتَ لِيَ في الناسِ ذِكرا

    So you spread it over me like fine striped cloths;

    you spread my renown among the people.

  5. أَبصَرتُ وَجهَكَ ثُمَّ قُل

    تُ لِمُقلَتي أَبصَرتِ مِصرا

    I saw your face, then I said

    to my eye, 'You have seen Egypt.'

  6. أَذكَرتَني زَمَناً مَضى

    عَنّي وَعَيشاً كانَ نَضرا

    You reminded me of a time that passed

    away from me, and a life once flourishing.

  7. وَالشُعرُ قِدماً كُنتُ مُغ

    رىً فيهِ لَمّا كُنتُ مُغرى

    And poetry—long ago I was enamored

    of it, when I was in love.

  8. فَخَلَعتُ أَثوابَ الغَرا

    مِ فَلا الجَديدُ وَلا المُطَرّا

    So I cast off the garments of love:

    neither new ones nor renewed ones.