يا مُهدي الدُّرِّ بَينَ الحبرِ وَالوَرَقِ

قَلائِداً بِحُلاها طوَّقَتْ عُنُقِي

O guide of pearls between ink and paper

With their adornments necklaces have girded my neck

تِلكَ القَوافي الَّتي كَالزَهرِ قَد طَلَعَت

تَزهو بِثَوبِ طِرازٍ باهرٍ الطُّرُقِ

Those rhymes that like flowers have bloomed

Blossoming in splendid, brilliant attire on paths

مِن كُلِّ عَذراءَ وَافَت تَنجَلي فَجَلَت

كَأساً أَصَبتُ بِها سُكراً فَلَم أُفِقِِ

From every maiden I met, radiant, she came forth

A cup with which I got drunk, and did not awaken

أَطَلتها أَسود القَلبِ الَّذي فَتَنَت

فَكانَ مِن حاسِديهِ أَسوَد الحَدقِ

Extended by the black-hearted one whom she seduced

So that among her envious ones were those black of eye

رَبيبةٌ علِقَ القَلبُ الشَجِيُّ بِها

وَإِنَّما خُلقَ الإِنسانُ مِن عَلَقِ

A beloved whom the passionate heart clung to

Yet man was only created from a clot

أَهدى بِها بارعُ الأَوصافِ باهِرُها

ماضي بَنان كَمَرِّ البَرقِ مُنطَلقِ

The excellent descriptor gifted her with it

A past, like the flashing light, set forth

فَتىً لَقَد باتَ بِالآدابِ مُشتَغِلاً

وَباتَ أَمثالَهُ بِاللَهوِ وَالنَزقِ

A youth who busied himself with literature

While the likes of him busied themselves with frivolity and waste

ذَكيُّ قَلبٍ بِنارِ الحلم مُتّقدٌ

جَرى بنَطقٍ كَسَيلِ المُزنِ مَندَفقِ

A heart, kindled by the fire of wisdom

Flowing with speech like pouring rain

وَحَبّذا في الفَتى حِلمٌ يَزيِّنُهُ

وَفودُهُ غَيرَ تالٍ سورةَ الفَلَقِ

And excellent for the youth is wisdom that adorns him

His judgment not lacking the Chapter of Daybreak

فَما كمَالُ الفَتى بِالشَيبِ في شعرٍ

لَكِن كَمالُ الفَتى بِالشيبِ في الخُلُقِِ

For the youth's perfection is not in white hair

Rather, the youth's perfection is in character