فرضتم عليكم للمتيم سنة

تؤدّونها بعد الفراغِ من الفجرِ

You have imposed upon yourselves as a Sunnah

You imposed upon yourselves a custom for this lovesick one,

To be performed after finishing the dawn prayer

Which you fulfill after the completion of the dawn prayer.

طلبتم بها خيراً وما رمت فعلها

وأحسنتم والحسنُ من شيم الحر

You have sought good through it, though it was not intended

You sought good thereby, though I had not aimed for its deed,

And you have done well, and doing good is a trait of the noble

And you acted kindly, for kindness is among the traits of the noble.

وبعد فترتم والفتور مخالفٌ

طباع كريمٍ خصّه اللَه بالأجرِ

Then you became lax, though laxity opposes

But then you faltered, and such faltering contradicts

The nature of a generous one whom Allah has granted reward

The nature of a generous soul whom God has distinguished with reward.

رزقتم مناكم لم ترومون قطعه

ونظمي له لا شكّ أحسن في الشعر

You were provided sustenance you never intended to cut off

May you be granted your desires—why do you seek to cut it off,

And my composition of it is undoubtedly best in poetry

When my composition regarding it is, without doubt, the finest in poetry?