يا أَيُّها الثِّقَةُ الذي وَثِقَتْ بِهِ

هِمَمِي وخُلْقُ الدهر خُلْقُ مُخَادِعِ

O you in whom I placed my trust

While fate's ways are ever so deceitful

ما بالُ ليثِ الدّولةِ القَرْمِ اغتدى

عني على استيقاظهِ كالهاجعِ

Why has the lion of power turned vicious

Rousing against me as if from slumber

هذا ولي وَعْدٌ عليه مُقَدَّمٌ

يقضي النَّدَى أَنْ ليسَ منه بِراجع

This was a pledge made to me

To fulfill without going back on his word

والوعدُ مِثْلُ البرقِ يُدْعَى خُلَّباً

ما لم يتابعْ بالسَّحابِ الهامِعِ

A pledge is like lightning men call fickle

Unless followed by heavy rains

وطمِعْتُ يَوْمَ الأَربعاءِ بقَبْضِهِ

فَصَبَرْتُ بعد الأَربعاءِ الرابع

I hoped to receive it on Wednesday

But after Wednesday came a fourth

ومَتَى تباعَدَ مُسْتَقىً في مورِدٍ

طَلَبَ الرِّشاءَ إِليه كَفُّ النَّازعِ

When the water source is far in a valley

The palm of the desperate reaches for a drink

وإِذا امُرُؤٌ أّسْدَى إِليكَ بشافِعٍ

خيراً فذاكَ الخَيْرُ خَيْرُ الشَّافِع

And if a man makes you a promise through a mediator

That promised good is the best of mediators

فَاهزُزْهُ إِنَّ الْهَزَّ فيه سريرةٌ

هَزُّوا لها مَتْنَ الحُسَامِ القاطِعِ

So insist, for insistence is key here

As swords insistently shook the swordsman's wrist

واسعَدْ وأَسعَدْ صاحباً لم تُخْلِهِ

والدَّهر أَخْرَقُ من صَنيعَةِ صانِعِ

Rejoice and make happy those who never let you down

While fate is more insidious than any maker

يا طائِرَ النِّسْرَيْنِ هل من عَطْفَةٍ

تبدو على عِطْفَيْ أَخيكِ الواقع

O twin-winged bird, is there no kindness

You can show to a fallen brother?