أعيرّ نفسي حرصَها واجتهادَها

وأعذرها حُباً إِذا الفقرُ آدَها

I blame myself for its greed and effort,

And I excuse it out of love when poverty subdues it.

وما تدَّعي من عزة بعد ما أَرى

لأيدي الأماني ذُلّها وانقيادَها

And whatever pride it claims after what I see,

The hands of hopes humiliated and made it submit.

بلى ربما لاقت نزاهةَ مطلبٍ

إِذا وجدت عند الملوك مُرادَها

Yes, perhaps it found the integrity of a request,

When it found favor with kings and attained its desire.

أَتيح لها في آل نبهانَ مذهبٌ

كفاها لغير الصَّالحين اعتمادَها

It was allowed in the family of Nubahan a doctrine,

That sufficed it apart from the support of the righteous.

إذا الشيعة الأزدية اخترت قَصدها

فَيمّمْ بني نبهان يلْحقْك جودَها

When the Al Azdi faction chose its aim,

The Bani Nubahan hastened to match its generosity.

وسيدّها الباقي لها الشرف الذي

كساها سرابيلَ الفخار وَسادَها

And its everlasting master, who endowed it

With the honor that clothed it in robes of splendor.

لَعمري كم عُدَّت له من صنيعةٍ

بجُلَّى كفاها أَو بنعمى أَفادَها

By my life! How many favors were counted for him

With the sheen of his palm or the bounty he granted.

تملك من قلب المعاني وعينها

سُويداءهُ في يعربٍ وسوادَها

It possessed the hearts of meanings and their essence

Were made white in eloquence and blackened by prose.

تَرى في يَديه عارضَ الجود كلّما

أَشارت إليه كفٌّ ظمآنَ جادَها

You see in his hands the cheek of generosity whenever

A thirsty palm gestures, and it flows.

إذا انهلَّت الآمالُ بالبرّ عَلّها

وان ابدأُ النّعمى لراج أَعادَها

When hopes drew near in righteousness, perhaps

The bounty would initiate and repeat itself.

فحيّاه باريه وأَحياه مُدةً

إلى الأَمد الأقصى يطيل أمتدادَها

So its Creator revived it and gave it life for a duration

To the farthest time-limit, prolonging its extension.