فَإِلّا تواتِ اليَومَ سَلمى فَرُبَّما

شَرِبنا بِحَوضِ اللَهوِ غَيرِ المُرَنَّقِ

Unless Salma visits today, we may

Drink from the bowl of playfulness, not being withdrawn

فَدَعها فَقَد أَعذرَت في ذِكرِ وَصلِها

وَأَجرَيتَ فيها شأوَ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ

So leave her be, for you have excused mentioning her visit

And discussed her situation, both east and west

وَلَكِن لِعَبدِ اللَهِ فاِنطِق بِمَدحَةٍ

تُجبِرُكَ مِن عُسرِ الزَمانِ المُطَبَّقِ

But for Abdullah, speak a praise

That will heal you from the distress of pressing times

أَخٌ قُلتُ للأدنينِ لَمّا مَدَحتُهُ

هَلُمُّوا وَساري اللَيلِ مِنَ الآنَ فاِطرُقِ

I said to the nobles when praising him

Come, pass the night from now on wakeful

شَديدُ التأنّي في الأُمورِ مُجَرِّبٌ

مَتى يَعرُ أَمرُ القَومِ يَفرِ وَيَخلُقِ

Careful and prudent in matters, experienced

When will the people’s affair show, then disperse and create

تَرى الخَيرَ يَجري في أَسِرَّةِ وجهِهِ

كَما لألأت في السَيفِ جَريَةُ رَونَقِ

You see good flowing in the secrets of his face

As ornamentation flows on a sharpened sword

كَريمٌ إِذا ما شاءَ عَدَّ لَهُ أَباً

لَهُ نَسَبٌ فَوقَ السِماكِ المُحَلِّقِ

Noble, if he wishes, he counts as a father for him

He has a lineage above the high-flying birds

وَأمّاً لَها فَضلٌ عَلى كُلِّ حُرَّةٍ

مَتى ما تُسابِق بابنِها القَومَ تَسبِقِ

And a mother who has virtue over every free woman

Whenever her son competes with the people, he outpaces

حَلَلتَ مَحَلَّ القَلبِ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

فَعُشُّكَ مأوى بيضِها المُتَفَلِّقِ

You have taken the place of the heart from the Hashimites

So your nest is a refuge for their cracking eggs

وَلَم تَكُ بالمُعزى إِلَيها نِصابهُ

لِصاقاً وَلا ذا المَركَبِ المُتَعَلِّقِ

You were not an aspirant to them, clinging

Nor with a tethered ship, clinging

فَمَن مِثلُ عَبدِاللَهِ أَو مِثلُ جَعفَرٍ

وَمِثلُ أَبيكَ الأريَحيِّ المُرَهَّقِ

So who is like Abdullah or like Ja'far

And like your father, the exhausted flier