إذا استبقيت في الدنيا حبيباً

فخير أحبتي فلاح مصرا

If I were to keep a lover in this life,

The best of my loved ones would be an Egyptian farmer

كريم يملأ الوادي ثراء

ولا يلقى سوى الإجحاف أجرا

A generous man who fills the valley with wealth

Yet only encounters injustice for his reward

فقير ما أراه شكا افتقارا

ولو يُجزى على تعبٍ لأثرى

A poor man whom I never see complain of poverty

And if he were rewarded for his toil, he would be rich

وكان بعيشة الأسرى قنوعاً

فكيف وقد غدا في الملك حرّا

He was content with the livelihood of captives

So how is he now that he is free in the kingdom?

فمحراثٌ يشق الأرض عندي

ويخرج من ثراها الخصب تبرا

To me, a plow that cleaves the earth

And brings forth grain from its folds is

كسيفٍ في يد الجندي لاقى

به جيشاً وحصناً مشمخرّا

Like a sword in a soldier's hand that met

An army and an impregnable fortress

فلو عرف الصوابَ التركُ قومي

لما احتقروا له عملاً وقدرا

If my people knew what was right

They would not scorn his work and worth

فأعلوه وأرضوه وضنوا

به فأنالهم مجداً ونصرا

Exalt and please him, and be kind to him

And so gain glory and victory for themselves

ولولا ما يخاف عليه مثلي

من البطر المعيد العرف نكرا

Were it not for the fear of the likes of me

For the vicissitudes of time that make the noble vile

سقاه من السلافة ما اشتهاه

وألبسه الحرير فتاه كبرا

I would have let him drink his fill

And dressed him in silk in his old age