1. The virtuous have gained virtues that cannot be repaid,
And my esteem for him grew as I recalled him.
١. قَد نالَ خَيرونُ خَيراً لَيسَ يُكفَرُهُ
وَزادَ في قَدرِهِ مُذ صِرتُ أَذكُرُهُ
2. A Coptic scribe who has naught to live on
But the scattering of his pages.
٢. كُوَيتِبٌ مِن بَني الأَقباطِ لَيسَ لَهُ
شَيءٌ يَعيشُ بِهِ إِلّا تَشَرُّرُهُ
3. Had I been in charge of the scribes as censor,
The first Copt I would have evicted was him.
٣. فَلَو وُليتُ عَلى الكُتّابِ مُحتَسِباً
لَكانَ أَوَّلَ قُبطِيٍّ أُدَرِّرُهُ