عَناني من الهَمِّ ما قَد عَناني
فَأَعطَيتُ صَرفَ اللَيالي عِناني
My sorrow overwhelmed me with grief
So I let the nights take their course
أَلفَتُ الدموعَ وَعِفتُ الهجوع
فَعَينايَ عَينانِ نَضّاخَتانِ
I grew accustomed to tears and famishment
My eyes became two fountains
لِسَقمٍ أَلَحَّ عَلى سيدٍ
بِهِ قَد غَفرتُ ذُنوبَ الزَمانِ
For an illness that persisted upon my master
With it, I forgive the sins of time
أَحاطَ بِرِجلَيهِ جوراً عَلَيهِ
وَأَنّى وَنَعلاهُما الفَرقَدانِ
It has unfairly shackled his feet
Where are his slippers with heels?
وَكَيفَ سطا بِهِما وَاِستَطال
وَأَرضُ بِساطِهِما النَيِّرانِ
How could he walk with them when
The ground beneath them was fire?
وَهَلّا تَجاوَزَهُ قاصِداً
إِلى عصبةٍ عَصبت بِالهَوانِ
Why did he not ignore them and head
Towards a group bound by disgrace?
اِذا ما سَعى لطلاب العلى
فَكُلُّ أَوانٍ هُمُ في توانِ
Whenever he sought the highest knowledge
Procrastination plagued them
وَسَوفَ توفيه كفُّ الشفاء
بِما أَنشَأَت بِاسمِهِ من أَمانِ
His healing hand will fulfill its duty
With the safety he created through his name
وَتَفقأ فيهِ عيونُ الزَمان
عَزيزَ المحلِّ رَفيعَ المَكانِ
And time's eyes will burst with tears
For one so dear and of the highest stature
وَيَبقى جَمالا لِاِقرانِهِ
وقد قَصروا عَنهُ أَلفَي قِرانِ
His beauty remains for his peers
Though they fall short, even two generations
أَتَتنيَ بِالأَمسِ أبياتُهُ
تُمَلِّلُ روحي بِروحِ الجنانِ
Yesterday, his verses came to me
To soothe my soul with the bliss of heavens
كَبُرد الشَبابِ وَبَرد الشَراب
وَظِلِّ الأَمانِ وَنَيل الأَماني
Like the coolness of youth, the chill of wine
The shade of safety, the attainment of wishes
وَعَهد الصِبا وَنَسيم الصَبا
وَصَفو الدنانِ وَرَجعِ القيانِ
And the days of youth, the morning breeze
The sweetness of life and return of consciousness
فَلَو أَنَّ أَلفاظَها جُسِّمَت
لَكانَت عقودَ نحورِ الغَواني
If their words were embodied
They would adorn the necks of maidens
فَيا لَيتَ عمريَ في عُمرِهِ
يُزادُ وَلَو أَنَّهُ حُقبَتانِ
Oh how I wish my life lasted his lifetime
Even if only two eras more
فَيا مُهجَةً قَدمَت دونه
بِغانيةٍ عِند ذكر الغَواني
So I am an admirer who came after him
With yearning, when great men are mentioned
أُجيبُ عن الشِعرِ مُستَرسِلاً
بِطَبعٍ شُجاعٍ وَقَلبٍ جَبانِ
I respond to poetry with an easy style
With brave composition and a coward's heart
فَلَولا سُكوني الى فَضلِهِ
قَبضتُ بَناني بِقَبضي لساني
If not for my composure due to his merit
I would have clenched my teeth and bit my tongue
