لِمنِ القَلبُ المُعنَّى وبمَن

فأرَى وَجداً شَديداً وشَجَن

To whom does my heart complain, and for whom

Do I see intense love and yearning?

وهُما في أنَّةٍ أسمَعُها

فتحسَّس مَن مِنَ الرُكبانِ أن

And they are in a soft voice I hear

So feel who among the travelers is!

إنَّ في القَلبِ أُمُوراً لا أرَى

خالِياً مِنها علَيها مُؤتَمَن

Indeed, in the heart are matters I do not see

Empty of them, entrusted with them

وأَحاديث إِذا هَمَّ بِها

مَدمَعي قالَت له لا تَفعلَن

And conversations, if it intends them

My tears told him, “Do not do so!”

وبَخيلٍ فإذا جادَ فَما

شِئتَ من سُخطٍ وتَعدِيدٍ ومَن

And a stingy one, when he is generous, whatever

You want of anger, enumeration, and grace

خالَفت شيمتُهُ صُورَتَه

فهوَ ما بينَ قَبيحٍ وحَسَن

I opposed his disposition, his image

So he is between ugly and good

كلَّما واصَلني عاتَبَني

طالَ ذا العَتبُ وواصَلت فَهَن

Whenever he reproached me, the reproach was long

And I kept in touch, so it became easy

ما لِكأسِي أصبحَت تُمزَجُ لي

دُونَ نَدماني بِهَمٍّ وحَزَن

What is wrong with my cup that is mixed for me

Without my regret, with anxiety and grief?

ونَدِيمي وُدُّهُ من طَرَبٍ

وسُرُورٍ أن تكونَ الكأسُ دَن

And my boon companion, his love of merriment

And happiness is for the cup to be near

غيرُ مَذمومٍ عَلَيها إنَّما

يُنصِفُ الخلُّ بإنصافِ الزَّمَن

Not blameworthy, but fair to the vinegar

Is the passage of time with equanimity

وبِهذا خالَفَ الدَّهرَ فَما

أحدٌ خالَفَ إِلا ابن الحَسَن

And with this he defied fate, so no

One defied except the son of Al-Hassan

أبَداً يُعدي عَلى أيَّامِه

لمن استَعداهُ سِرّاً وعَلَن

Forever transgressing upon his days

For whoever secretly and openly opposed him

داخِلاً في كلِّ بابٍ سالِكاً

للمَعالي والنَّدى في كلِّ فَن

Entering into every door, traveling

To the heights and dew in every art

كلُّ ما عزَّ من المالِ غَدا

بأبي البِشرِ ذَليلاً مُمتَهَن

All the wealth that was dear became

With Abi Al-Bisher, despised and subjugated

لَيسَ يرجُو راحةً في راحةٍ

قد أقامَ الجودُ فيها وسَكَن

He does not hope for rest in comfort

Where generosity has settled and dwelt

كم جَزيلٍ سامَني الحَمدَ بهِ

واشتَراهُ فرأى أن قَد غَبَن

How abundant the praise that enriched me with it

And he bought it but found he was cheated

يَقتَني الحمدَ إذا قِيل اقتَنَى

عَرضَ الدُّنيا بخيلٌ فَخَزَن

He earns praise when it is said he earned

The wares of the world a miser, so he hoarded

فَليَنَل ما يَتَمنَّى فَلَكَم

مرَّةٍ قال لراجِيهِ تَمَن

So let him attain what he wishes, for how many

A time he said to his seeker, “Wish!”

وأشَدُّ المال نَفعاً للفَتى

ما غدا أو راحَ لِلحَمدِ ثَمَن

And the wealth most beneficial to the youth

Is what tomorrow or today is the price of praise

والمذمَّاتُ إذا ما رَشَقَت

بسِهامٍ فالعَطِيَّاتُ جُنَن

And the dispraises, when they pelt

With arrows, so the gifts are madness