بَلاءَكَ إِنّي غَيرُ مُستَعِبِ الرِضى

وَلا مُستَقِلِّ القوتِ مِن مُعذِرٍ مُبلِ

Your affliction, I am not one who is content with acceptance

Nor am I independent in subsistence from any excuse

أَعافُكَ إِن لَم يَصفُ عِندَكَ مَشرَبي

وَأَرعاكَ إِن أَمرَعتَ في جانِبٍ سَهلِ

I pardon you if my manner does not please you

And I indulge you if you incline to an easy side

وَإِنّي لَأَستَحيِيكَ بِالغَيبِ أَن أَرى

خِلافَكَ مَطوَيَّ الضَميرِ عَلى ذَحلِ

Indeed I am too shy before you in absence to see

Unlike you, one whose conscience is folded in meanness

سَخاءَكَ إِنّي لَم أُناجيكَ في المُنى

فَتُرجِعَني إِلّا بِنائِلِكَ الجَزلِ

Your generosity, I did not whisper to you in intimacy

Except you returned me with your abundant bestowal

سَيَخلُفُنا فيكَ الثَناءُ إِذا رَمى

بِنا غِبُّهُ وَالنَأيُ واسِطَةُ الرَحلِ

Praise of you will remain after us when separation

And remoteness and the mediation of travel come between us

وَسامَحتَني بِالقَولِ حَتّى إِذا سَخَت

لَكَ النَفسُ عَن آمالِها ضِقتَ بِالبَذلِ

You forgave my words until when the soul hardened

Against its hopes, you were stingy with giving

وَشِمتُكَ إِذ أَبرَقتَ لي عارِضَ المُنى

فَأَقبَلتَ لَم تُبضِض بَرَيٍّ وَلا ضَحلِ

I envied you when you smiled at me despite misfortunes

So you came, neither frowning at any distress or poverty

وَإِنَّ اِمرِءاً نالَ العُلا ثُمَّ أَصبَحَت

صَنائِعُهُ تَفتَرُّ عَنّي وَعَن مِثلي

And a man attained elevation, then his skills

Became too lofty for me and my like

لَغَيرُكَ إِلّا أَنَّ مَنبَتَ عودِهِ

وَعودِكَ فَرعا نَبعَةٍ طَيِّبا الأَصلِ

Unlike you, except that the origin of his rod

And your rod are branches of one fragrant root

ذَكَرتُ أَبا يَحيى فَخاضَت بِيَ المُنى

بُحورَ الغِنا حَتّى اِستَرَحتُ إِلى الفِعلِ

I recalled Abu Yahya, so the wishes immersed me

In oceans of melody until I gained respite in action