لا يَفجَعنَّكَ غُصنُ البانِ إن بانا

واخرُج أعوِّضكَ منه اليوم أغصانا

Let not the ban tree branch make you sad if it bent,

I will replace it for you today with other branches.

هَيهاتَ ذاكَ الَّذي فارَقتَ مُنفَرِداً

من أن تُحسَّ لَه ما عِشتَ أقرانا

Far be it, the one you left alone,

That as long as I live, I will feel for him like peers.

مركَّبٌ من كَثِيبٍ في نَقىً عَسِرٌ

أن يُرتَقَى خَشِنُ المَسعَى وإن لانا

A camel to ride on a rugged ascent in soft sand

Is hard to climb, however gentle the pace may be.

قد كان مثلَكَ مِن كأسٍ وحامِلها

ما يَمنعُ اللَّيلَ أن يَدجُو ويَغشانا

Like you, many a night cupbearer and his cup

Did not prevent the night from sinking in darkness.

فإن صَبرتَ على كتمانِ ما فَعَلا

وما فَعلتَ تَكُن عِندي كَما كانا

If you are patient in keeping secret what they did

And what you did, you would be to me as you were before.

فهَل سمِعتُم بمِثلي كانَ مُتَّخِذاً

بلَيلِهِ من ضِياءِ الصُّبحِ نَدمانا

Did you hear of anyone like me who made

Of the dawn's light a regret for his nights?

كأنَّما ابنُ سُرورٍ باتَ يَبعَثُ لي

في سائِر الطُّرقِ أنواراً ونيرانا

As if the son of joy throughout the roads

Kept sending me lights and fires.

وأذكُر ابنَ سُرورٍ في مَكارمِهِ

وقُربهِ فأمِنتُ اليومَ نِسيانا

And I remember the son of joy for his virtues

And his nearness, I forgot today to forget.

يزيدُهُ الجُودُ حُسناً حِين يَسلبُه

والسَّيفُ أحسَنُ ما تَلقاهُ عُريانا

Generosity adds to his beauty when it takes him over,

And the sword looks the best when bare.

والجارُ يَأوي إلى رُكنٍ وأنتَ فَقَد

نَصبتَ أبنِيةً حَولي وأَركانا

While the neighbor sought shelter in a corner, you

Erected buildings around me and pillars.

وأذكُر ابنَ سُرورٍ بالسُّرورِ بِه

إذا انتَشَيتُ وراحَ الهمُّ سَكرانا

And I remember the son of joy with joy in him

When I sobered up and worry left drunk.

وصرتُ ليسَ أرَى إلا مَكارمَهُ

حَولي قِياماً يَراها النَّاسُ أعيانا

I saw none but his virtues around me

Standing, seen by people as clear as the sun.

حيثُ التَفتُّ وجَدتُ الجُود مُعتَرِضاً

مشمِّراً لانتِظارِ الأمرِ يَقظانا

Wherever I turned, I found generosity blocking the way

Rolling up his sleeves, awake, expecting command.

إِن قُلتُ صدَّقَني فيكَ النَّدى وأَتى

بِمِثل قَولي وآلى فيه أَيمانا

If I said, "Confirm me," the dew confirmed me in you

And he swore alike and swore oaths.

سُبحانَ من نَسخَ الجَفنِيَّ مِن كَرَمٍ

في واحدٍ من بَنِيهِ اليومَ سُبحانا

Glory to Him who copied generosity

In one of His sons today, glory to Him.

ويَعجبُ الناسُ مِن أنِّي انفَرَدتُ به

واللَّهُ أفرَدَهُ جُوداً وإحسانا

And people wonder that I singled him out

While God singled him out in generosity and benevolence.

وإنَّما أنا مَوقُوفُ الثَّناءِ فمَن

كانَ ابنُ جَفنَةَ مِنهم كنتُ حَسَّانا

I am but praising what is to be praised, so who

Was Jafnah's son among them, I would have lauded.