1. راحَتْ وحقِّ الله رُوحي

    بينَ المليحةِ والمليحِ

    My soul departed, by God's truth,

    between the beautiful woman and the beautiful man.

  2. وأَعادَها من جُودِه

    كالغَيْثِ لاَ بَلْ كَالمَسيح

    And he restored it through his bounty,

    like rain—no, rather like the Messiah.

  3. يُحيي القتيلَ فلاَ تَسَلْ

    بَعْدَ القَتِيلِ عَنِ الجَرَيح

    He revives the slain, so do not ask,

    after the slain, about the wounded.

  4. الفاضِلُ المدعُوُّ بيـ

    ـنَ الخلْقِ بالنَّعتِ الصَّحيح

    Al-Fadil—the Excellent—called among

    mankind by that fitting epithet,

  5. فضلانِ فضْلٌ لا يُبا

    حُ وآخَرٌ للمستبيحِ

    has two kinds of excellence: one cannot be claimed,

    and the other is for whoever claims it.

  6. تُنْجِي سفينةُ جُودِه

    مَعْ أَنَّه طوفانُ نُوح

    The ship of his bounty saves,

    though his bounty is Noah's flood.

  7. وتَظَلُّ تَجْري لِلوَرى

    مِنْ راحتَيه بِكُلِّ ريح

    And it keeps sailing for mankind,

    from his two palms, with every wind.

  8. تأْتي مِنَ البَلد البعيـ

    ـدِ إِلَيْه بالأَملِ الفَسيح

    You come from the far-off land

    to him with far-reaching hope,

  9. وتَروحُ منه مُتْبَعا

    بالمالِ لا كِيسِ المديح

    and depart from him, followed

    by wealth, not a purse of praise.

  10. أَوْصَى أَيَادِيه فقا

    لَ لها رُويدَكِ لاَ تَبُوحي

    He instructed his benefactions, and said

    to them: 'Gently now; do not reveal yourselves.'

  11. فكأَنَّه قد قال قو

    لوا لِلَّطيمَة لا تَفُوحي

    It is as though he had said: 'Tell

    the perfume-laden caravan not to give off fragrance.'

  12. جلَّت مَكَارمُه كَمَا

    قد جَلَّ عن نُصْحِ النَّصيح

    His noble deeds are exalted, just as

    he stands above a sincere adviser's counsel.

  13. وعَلاَ فَصَار مديحُه الـ

    ـإِغراقَ في تَرْك المديح

    And he rose so high that praise of him became

    utter abstention from praise.

  14. يا سيداً جَادَتْ يَدا

    ه عَليَّ في الزَّمنِ الشَّحيح

    O master, whose two hands were generous

    to me in a miserly age,

  15. وأَنالَ في زمنٍ يُرى

    فيه النَّوالُ مِنَ القَبيحِ

    and who gave in an age when

    giving is regarded as something shameful.

  16. ورأَيتُ منهُ الدَّهرَ أَضْـ

    ـحَى ضَاحِكاً بَعْد الكُلوج

    And through him I saw Time turn

    from a frown to laughter;

  17. ورأَيتُ مِنه صَوْلَةً

    أَقوى مِن الطِّرف الطَّمُوح

    and I witnessed his charge,

    mightier than a high-spirited steed.

  18. أَعْتَقْتَني وملكتَ رِقِّـ

    ـي إِذ رَدَدْت إِليَّ رُوحي

    You freed me and made me your bondsman,

    when you restored my soul to me.

  19. وأَمَتَّ حاسِديَ الَّذي

    لم تُكرِموه بالضَّرِيح

    And you slew my envier, whom

    you did not honor with a tomb.

  20. قَد صارَ كالذِّئْب الذَّليـ

    ـلِ وكَان كالأَسَد المُشيحِ

    He has become like a humbled wolf,

    though he had been like a fiercely alert lion.

  21. وكسوتَني خِلعاً هزز

    تُ بِهِنَّ عِطْفِي كالصَّفيح

    And you clothed me in robes of honor; I swayed

    my side in them like a broad sword.

  22. خِلعٌ على خلع أَتَتْـ

    ـني كالفُتوح عَلى الفُتوحِ

    Robes of honor upon robes of honor came

    to me, like conquest upon conquest.

  23. لولاكَ لم يُعلم بأَشـ

    ـعارِي ولَمْ يُقرَأ مَديحي

    Without you, my poems would not be known,

    nor would my praise be read.

  24. وجميلُ رأْيك حين صر

    ح جَاءَ بالجودِ الصَّريح

    And your gracious judgment, when made plain,

    came with manifest bounty.

  25. فاخْلُد فإِنَّك خالدٌ

    واعمَلْ على قولِي الصَّحِيح

    So live forever, for you are immortal,

    and act upon my truthful words.

  26. قالُوا فمَنْ أَوْحى إِليـ

    ـهِ بِذَا فَقلتُ إِليّ أُوحى

    They said, 'Then who revealed to him

    this?' So I said, 'To me it was revealed.'