مولاي وعدك جاز حد زمانِهِ

والحر ينجز وعده بأوانِهِ

My Master, your promise has exceeded its time

And the free man fulfills his promise on time

فارحم أبيت اللعن عبداً مفلساً

يتحدث الأحداث في حرمانه

So have mercy on a cursed slave, destitute

Who tells of events in his deprivation

أكل الكِرا عاماً على خبَّازه

ونفى الكرى بالمطل على سمّانه

He ate bread for a year from his baker

And denied bread with procrastination to his fattener

الغيث من أجفانه والبرق من

أشجانه والرعد من خفقانه

The rain from his eyelids, the lightning from

His branches, and the thunder from his tremors

أيدوم في قيد العسار مكبلاً

ويدوم قيد المدح في ديوانه

I remain bound in poverty's shackles

And remain bound with praise in his register

لي فيك شعر لو مدحت به السهى

لهوى وأجلسني على إيوانه

I have in you poetry, if I praised tendencies with it

It would crave and seat me on his balcony

وثناً إذا حيا به الصخر الفتى

يتناول الإسفنط من صوّانه

And an idol, if the young man greeted it with him

Would take alabaster from its maker

فانعم بحقي لا سواه فإنني

أصبحت لا أخشى سوى نقصانه

So favor me, none but Him, for I

Have come to fear only its loss

لا زال وعدك عارضاً متدفقاً

يروي جنان الصدق من تهتانه

Your promise does not cease, overflowing

Watering the gardens of sincerity from its springs

وبقيت سعداً ذابحاً بسخائه

نوبَ السنين الشهب عن حملانه

And I remained happy, slaughtering generosity

With it, while the years usurped its lambs