1. O Abu Hasan, you are a man of refinement,
Is there anything you can do to earn praise,

2. From one whose soul aspires to the highest peaks?
You have revelled in luxury and worn the finest clothes.

3. Praise that is hard to deny, though some may try,
As musk’s fragrance is hard to conceal.

4. Whoever seeks your gifts will get nothing from me
Except the strokes of my pen, which leave their mark.

5. You put on appearances, though inwardly corrupt,
Like the arrogant heart that was burned by passion’s fire.

6. When presented blank, your nature appears
Like a faint image difficult to see.

7. But when adorned by my pen, it gathers together
All the features in an epic composition.

8. So many pretenders have taken the place
Of ink, though it destroys their aspirations.

9. When you pierce a target with it, you spill
Blood without remorse, like a sharpened spear.

10. It is like an arrow, placed in a quiver,
Enriching ambition with lethal poison.

11. Unleashed, it reveals a blade
Like the gaping jaw of a lion on the day of battle.

12. You deserve credit for making it, though it is
Flawed, bound together by your skill.

13. It shines with the magic of craftsmanship and star-shine,
As if, due to your fine nature, the elegance upon it glitters.

14. Your knowledge has spread like the full moons,
So those who claim to know have fallen short.

15. It confirms your perfection, that the beautiful
Cannot be destroyed by its maker.

16. We sent to you a delegation of praise,
That the people of refinement long to receive.

17. I compiled your attributes in this poem,
So whoever finds this pearl might string it together.