يا سيداً لم يلتبس عِرضُهُ

بذمِّ رائيهِ ولا خابرِهْ

O master whose honor was never stained

By blaming his opinions or companion

ظاهرُهُ أحسنُ من غيبه

وغيبُه أحسن من ظاهرِهْ

His outward self is better than his unseen self

And his unseen self is better than his outward one

ومن إذا الرأي خبا نُورُهُ

فإنما يقدحُ من خاطرِهْ

And when the light of opinion goes dim in someone

It only sparks from his own mind

فلا ترى أثقبَ من ذهنهِ

فيه ولا أيمَنَ من طائرِهْ

You will not see a mind sharper than his

Nor a flying creature straighter than him

أوَّلُ ما أسأل من حاجةٍ

أن تقرأ الشعر إلى آخرِهْ

The first thing I ask out of need

Is that you read poetry to the very end

قراءةً تصدرُ عن نيةٍ

تُفهم قلب المرء عن ناظرِهْ

A recital stemming from an intention

To understand the heart beyond the seer

ثم كفاني بالذي تَرْتَئي

في جَيّد الشعر وفي شاعرِهْ

Then be content with what you deem

Is excellent in poetry and in the poet

وما أرَى التقصير يُخشَى على

فعلك بل يُخشى على شاكرِهْ

And I do not see shortcoming as feared

In your action, but as feared for the thankless one