1. رَأَيتُ في النَومِ أَبا مِرَّةٍ

    شَيخِيَ في تَهذيبِ عِلمِ البَيانِ

    I saw Abu Murrah in a dream,

    My teacher in refining the art of rhetoric.

  2. وَحَولَهُ مِن رَهطِهِ عُصبَةٌ

    يُشيرُ نَحوي لَهُم بِالبَنانِ

    And around him was a band of his clan;

    He pointed me out to them with his fingers.

  3. وَقالَ يا بُشراكُمُ بِالَّذي

    غَيَّبتُمُ عَن ذِكرِهِ بِالعَيانِ

    And he said, 'Glad tidings to you of the one

    Whom you have kept from mention in plain sight!

  4. هَذا الَّذي أَخبَرتُكُم أَنَّهُ

    في نَظمِهِ أَوحَدُ هَذا الزَمانِ

    This is the one I told you was

    Peerless in his verse in this age.'

  5. وَقالَ لَو شَنَّفتَ أَسماعَنا

    بِبَعضِ ما نَظَمتَ في ذا الأَوانِ

    And he said, 'If only you would adorn our ears

    With some of what you have composed of late!'

  6. فَعِندَها أَورَدتُ مِن مَدحِكُم

    بَدائِعاً مَنظومَةً كَالجُمانِ

    At that, I recited some praise of you:

    Marvels strung in verse like pearls.

  7. فَعادَ كُلٌّ مِنهُمُ قائِلاً

    أَحسَنتَ يا رَبَّ المَعاني الحِسانِ

    Then each of them replied,

    'Well done, O master of beautiful meanings!'

  8. فَقالَ مَعَ ذا المَدحِ هَل أَنعُمٌ

    بِضَيعَةٍ عامِرَةٍ أَو فِدانِ

    Then he said, 'With this praise, were there gifts—

    A flourishing estate, or a feddan of land?'

  9. فَقُلتُ لا قالَ وَلا مَنزِلٌ

    مُستَحسَنٌ يُغنيكَ عَن بَيتِ خانِ

    I said, 'No.' He said, 'Nor a house,

    A fine one, sparing you the need for an inn-room?'

  10. فَقُلتُ لا قالَ وَلا سابِقٌ

    مُرَفَّهُ السَوقِ شَقِيِّ العِنانِ

    I said, 'No.' He said, 'Nor a swift steed,

    Needing little urging, yet restive at the rein?'

  11. فَقُلتُ لا قالَ فَنَم صاغِراً

    ما أَنتَ إِلّا بِغَوِيِّ اللِسانِ

    I said, 'No.' He said, 'Then sleep, humbled:

    You are nothing but one with a wayward tongue.'