يا مَن دَعاني وَفَرَّ مِنّي

أَخلَفتَ وَاللَهِ حُسنَ ظَنّي

O you who called me and then fled from me,

You have, by Allah, betrayed my good opinion.

قَد كُنتُ أَرضى بِخُبزِ رُزٍّ

وَمالِحٍ أَو قَليلِ بُنِّ

I would have been content with bread and salt,

Or a little dried dates,

وَسَكرَةٍ مِن نَبيذِ دِبسٍ

أَقامَ يَوماً بِعُقرِ دَنِّ

And a draft of fermented date wine

That would lodge for a day in the upper part of a waterskin.

فَكَيفَ يَغلو بِما ذَكَرنا

مُساعِدٌ شاعِرٌ مُغَنّي

How then could the gifts I mentioned

Be excessive for a helpful poet and singer?