سَقيمٌ نَهاهُ سُقمُ جَفنَيهِ أَن يَسلو

ويأمرُهُ أَن لا يُطاوِعهُ العَذلُ

Sickness forbade his eyelids to sleep

And ordered him not to obey languor

فيا لكَ مِن أَمرٍ وَنهيٍ تَجمَّعا

عَلى واحدٍ ما فِيهِ عَن واحدٍ فَضلُ

What a command and prohibition combined

Against one who is unequaled and peerless

لَه كُلّ يومٍ مِن صُدودِكَ لَوعَةٌ

تعوَّدَ أَن يَتلو بِها زَفرَةً تَعلو

Each day your rejection causes him agony

He is accustomed to sighing woefully

تكرُّ علَيهِ النائِباتُ كأنَّها

طَلائِعُ خَيلٍ جاءَ يَقدُمُها الشِّبلُ

Misfortunes attack him as if they were

Vanguards of horsemen led by a lion cub

سِوى أنَّها غَدَّارةٌ كلَّما وَفى

وبينَ الوَفا والغَدرِ يومَ الوَغى فَصلُ

Except they are treacherous, whenever trustworthy

On the battle day, the difference between loyalty and betrayal is clear

فتىً أن يَجر صَرفُ الزَّمانِ فَصَعدَةٌ

لَها في يَدَيهِ كلَّما اعتَدلَت عَدلُ

It is hard on a young man that the course of time pulls him

And its hands upon him rise and fall

وإِن يَفتَخِر قومٌ عَليهِ فإنَّما

لَهُم قَولُهُم في فَخرِهم ولَه فِعلُ

If a people take pride over him, they only

Have their words to boast, but he has his deeds

مَناقِبُ يا ابنَ اللَّيثِ ضاقَت على امرئٍ

يُحاوِلُها من حَيثُ حاوَلَها الشِّبلُ

Virtues, O son of the Lion, are too narrow for one

Who seeks them from where the lion cub sought them

تمكنتَ من دنياكَ إنِّيَ إنَّما

دَعوتُ دُعاءً لَيسَ يقبلُه البَذلُ

You gained your world, I only

Prayed a prayer generosity does not accept

ولا زالَت الأيامُ فينا بَخيلَةً

بِمِثلِكَ أَن يُقنَى وكَيفَ ولا مِثلُ

And the days with us remain stingy

That the like of you is content, but there is no like