يا أَبا نَصرٍ يا بَديعِ المَعاني

يا مَليحَ الفُضولِ وَالإِفتِنانِ

O Abu Nasr, O wonderful in meaning

O beautiful in manners and allurement

وَالَّذي نَستَشِفُّ مِنهُ خِصالاً

ما اِكتَسى قَطُّ مِثلَها نَصراني

From whom we gain traits

Never attained by any Christian

وَالَّذي جاهُهُ يَروحُ وَيَغدو

تَعِباً في حَوائِجِ الإِخوانِ

He whose status takes him out and brings him back

Tired with needs of brethren

أَنا مُستَطرِفٌ لِضَربِكَ صَفحاً

عَن حَديثِ المُدَرهِمِ الدَيراني

I'm inclined to turn a blind eye

To talk of the whimsical, shifty dirham

فَأَبِن لي عَلامَ ضَجَّعَت فيهِ

أَلِسَهوٍ عَراكَ أَم لِتَوانِ

So tell me why it settled you

In distraction or hesitation

لَو ظَفِرنا بِمَن يَكونُ نَصيرا

حاذِقاً بِالطَبيحِ لِلرُهبانِ

If we found someone who would be a supporter

Skilled in dealing with monks

لَتَمادَيتُ في صِيانَةِ نَفسي

وَلِأَجلَلتُها عَنِ الجُلَّبانِ

I would have continued in guarding myself

And honored it over jugglers

ما مَحَلُّ الطَعامِ عَتبُكَ فيهِ

لا وَلَو كانَ مِن طَعامِ الجِنانِ

It’s not your food that bothers you

Even if it were from the foods of Heaven