يا غابِراً وَجَدَ النَدى

قَيداً فَما أَرجو قُفولَه

O one who found the dew burdening,

And no longer hope for his return,

إِن كُنتَ مِنّي في بُلو

غِكَ ما أَرَدتَ أَدَقَّ حيلَه

If you are vexed with me,

Your cleverest schemes cannot avail.

لا كانَ رَأيُكَ ذا الصَحي

حُ وَلا مَوَدَّتُكَ العَليلَه

Neither was your view ever right,

Nor was your affection ever true.

فَمَتى أَرَدتَ بِصاحِبٍ

ضِدَّ النَجاحِ فَكُن رَسولَه

So when you wanted an ally

Against success, then be his messenger.

وَمَتى بَغَيتَ ضَلالَهُ

يَوماً فَكُن أَيضاً دَليلَه

And when you sought to lead him astray

One day, then be also his guide.

لَصَدَدتَ عَمّا رُمتُهُ

صَدَّ الذَليلِ عَنِ الحَليلَه

You would have desisted from your aim

As the abject desists from the sublime.

وَتَطَلُّبي مِنكَ المَنا

بَ مِنَ الأُمورِ المُستَحيلَه

Yet you ask of me the impossible

From among matters most difficult.

وَأَظُنُّهُ مُستَنبِطاً

مَن قَولِ دِمنَةَ أَو كَليلَه

And I reckon he was searching

The words of Dimna or Kalila.

هِيَ قِصَّةٌ أَعرَبتَ في

ها عَن سَجِيَّتِكَ البَخيلَه

It is a tale you expressed in it

Your miserly nature so mean.

وَلَقَد نَزَلتَ بِحَضرَةٍ

مِن كُلِّ نائِبَةٍ مُزيلَه

You have indeed descended to the abode

Of every impending doom.

يَشتاقُني إِنعامُها

وَالمَطلُ يَمنَعُني سَبيلَه

I yearn her favors, but procrastination

Deprives me of the way to it.

إِن أَغضَبَت ذا الدينِ ما

طِلَةً فَقَد أَرضَت وَكيلَه

If the procrastinator angers

The time, she pleases her successor.

فَكَتَبتَ تَذكُرُ ما أَنا

لَت مِن مَواهِبِها الجَزيلَه

So you wrote mentioning what

I forgot of her copious boons.

فَأَتى كِتابُكَ شاهِداً

لَكَ في الكِتابَةِ وَالفَضيلَه

Thus did your letter bear witness to you

In writing and virtue.

لَولا عِبارَتُكَ القَبي

حَةُ عَن زِيارَتِكَ الجَميلَه

Were it not for your concise

Expression of your beautiful visit.

يَمَّمتُها في حالَةٍ

يَنسى الخَليلُ بِها خَليلَه

I would have undertaken it in a state

That makes the intimate forget his beloved.

وَهَرَبتُ مِن شَظَفِ المَعا

شِ إِلى التَنَعُّمِ وَالرَبيلَه

And I fled from the harshness of destitution

To comfort and ease.

مَن حَلَّ في ذاكَ الجَنا

بِ سَلا عَنِ الدِمَنِ المُحيلَه

Whoever lodged in that side,

Ask not about the base life.

وَكَفاكَ فَخراً مَوقِفٌ

تَأبى نَباهَتُهُ خُمولَه

And enough pride is a stand

Whose splendor refuses decline.

وَمَديحُ مَن عَشِقَ الثَنا

ءَ فَأَدرَكَ الراجيهِ سولَه

And praising one who loved praise

Until he attained his hopes.

بِغَرائِبِ الشِعرِ الَذي

حَظُّ المَسامِعِ أَن تَطولَه

With the wonders of poetry which

The ears are fortunate to hear.

فِقَرٌ يَحُلُّ أَبو عُبا

دَةَ دونَها وَتَفوقُ قيلَه

Poverty befell Abu Ubadah

Beyond which are its stories and tales.

أَصبَحتُ أُنبَذُ بِالعَرا

ءِ وَأَنتَ تَرتَعُ في الخَميلَه

I became discarded in the bare wilderness

While you enjoy the thickets.

إِن جادَكَ الغَيثُ الهَطو

لُ فَإِنَّني راجٍ سُيولَه

If the pouring rain enriches you

Then I hope for its floods.

يَفدي أَبا الحَسَنِ الكِرا

مُ فَلَم أَجِد فيهِم عَديلَه

May the generous Abu Al-Hasan ransom me

For I did not find among them a peer.

أَنداهُمُ في عامِ مَس

غَبَةٍ وَأَكرَمُهُم قَبيلَه

I call them in a year of estrangement

And the best of tribes host them.

مِنَنٌ تَخِفُّ إِلى المَحا

مِدِ وَهيَ إِن حُمِلَت ثَقيلَه

Favors that become burdensome to the recipient

And yet if carried are precious.

وَسَحابَةٌ لِلطالِبي

نَ سِوايَ صادِقَةُ المَخيلَه

A cloud for seekers of gifts

Except me, truthfully promising.

وَلَوَ اِنَّها بِالعَدلِ تَق

ضي كُنتُ أَقواهُم وَسيلَه

And if it dispensed in justice

I would be the strongest asking it.