أَلا رُبَّ هَمٍّ يُمنَعُ النَومُ دونَهُ

أَقامَ كَقَبضِ الراحَتَينِ عَلى الجَمرِ

Alas! For every care that keeps off sleep,

He remained awake, like one grasping embers in both palms,

بَسَطتُ لَهُ وَجهي لأُكبتَ حاسِداً

وَأَبدَيتُ عَن نابٍ ضَحوكٍ وَعَن ثَغرِ

I offered my face for him to tread on out of envy,

And bared teeth smiling and lips speaking,

وَشَوقِ كَأَطرافِ الأَسِنَّةِ في الحَشا

مَلَكتُ عَلَيهِ طاعَةَ الدّمعِ أَن يَجري

And yearning is like blade tips in skirmishes,

I controlled over him the obedience of tears to flow,

لَهُ راحَةٌ لَو أَنَّ مِعشارُ جودِها

عَلى البَرِّ صارَ البَرُّ أَندى مِنَ البَحرِ

He has serenity, if but a tenth of his generosity

Was upon righteousness, the land would be moister than the sea,

لَهُ هِمَمٌ لا مُنتَهى لِكِبارِها

وَهِمَّتُهُ الصُغرى أَجَلُّ مِنَ الدَهرِ

He has endless great aspirations,

And his minor aspiration is dearer than fate,

وَلَو أَنَّ خَلقَ اللَهِ في جِسمِ فارِسٍ

وَبارَزَةُ كانَ الخَلِيَّ مِنَ العُمرِ

And if the creation of God were in the body of a horseman,

And the empty wilderness, it would be devoid of life,

أَبا دُلَفٍ بورِكتَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

كَما بورِكَت في شَهرِها لَيلَةُ القَدرِ

O Abu Dulaf, may you be blessed in every country,

As the night of Al-Qadr was blessed in its month,