1. Injustice from a friend is no surprise,
And every weakling is now treacherous.

2. So I have parted from wicked neighbors
Whose ilk is rarely seen among the virtuous.

3. They confused me with their kinsfolk and protected me
From the vicissitudes of time and changing fortunes,

4. Grasping the ropes of Abu al-Husayn
Which guaranteed my youthful sins when I grew old.

5. In generous company and noble character,
I am the choicest of their companions.

6. I sold all that I owned to acquire
A wise and loyal friend.

7. Whether I am present or absent from him
He is my glory whether I am seen or concealed.

8. He holds sincere advice among those close to him
And he takes the place of one who finds fault with me.

9. The son of the Chief Justice, without any exaggeration,
Is more free of blemish than heavy rains are free of sins.

10. His pride warns against attributing his deeds
To his lineage however glorious it may be.

11. His awe and beauty dazzled people
So that he is their hearts as he is in their eyes.

12. We are content with him, though the days
Have judged between us and misfortune.

13. We thanked his father
And invoked blessings on him from nearby.

14. A breath that relieved an anxious heart
And an illness which I described to the physician.

15. He did not abandon me to the deceit of hopes
Or disappoint me with false promises,

16. And cured me of rage and wrath
For nothing soothes wrath like forgiveness.

17. An aspiration diminishing the stars by comparison,
And an intellect independent of testing.

18. A brilliance as if he possessed
Knowledge of the unseen by the light of reason.

19. A man of letters who gained no knowledge
Through schooling or teaching.

20. Eulogy falls short of reaching his merits
So we counted that among the greatest sins.

21. He fulfilled my needs through you, removing
Any doubts held by the suspicious.

22. He examined thoroughly, keeping aloof,
Seeking the point of agreement and awarding shots to the successful archer.

23. A guidance which set affection right
Both in its principles and details.

24. Without those principles the branches
Would change the nature of construction.

25. If al-Rudayni had relied on anything but the rules of prosody
His pipes would have had different joints.

26. He mounted difficulty - indeed meaning rides
Easily on the vehicle of meter.

27. The portion of his enemies when they mention him
Is a breath that kindles the fire of anguish.

28. They are content to slander his actions
And intimate the quickness of his impulse.

29. They have done no harm but like the harm
Of a slave, vainly beating one who is invulnerable.

30. Men have not seen one more forgiving before us,
One who invites like an inviter who summons.

31. One day he grants me audience and another I silence
Those seeking favor who have none to grant it.

32. Knowing that the generosity of the nights
Is a gift that does not last for the gifted.

33. What will make me covetous after people
Whose glory the breeze of youth has scattered?

34. They pitched camp on the plain of the dust and stayed
After long wandering and long labor.

35. Would that I had never been, but if I were,
I would not have sought food or drink,

36. Tormenting myself or indulging myself,
So the flea rejoiced in the kindling flame.

37. We are in an abode of exile, stripped
Of its beloved reins by none.

38. One youth sold his fortune for other than it
And another said "I obtained no share."

39. Every striver in it has, with perseverance,
An ambition he hopes will be fulfilled.