خليلٌ من الخِلّانِ أُصفيهِ خُلَّتي

فأبدَي ليَ السرَّ الذي أنا كاتِمُهْ

A trusted friend of mine I chose to confide in

He revealed to me the secret I was hiding

ويحزُنُني طوراً وطوراً يسُرُّني

مغانمُهُ طوراً وطوراً مغارمُهْ

He gladdens me at times and saddens me at others

His gains make me happy sometimes, and his losses make me sad

بُليتُ ببلوى والبلايا كثيرةٌ

وكانتْ مُرجَّاةً لدينا مَقاوِمه

I have suffered much distress, and troubles are many

I wished for one who would stand by me against them

فلم أتخيَّرْ من ثقاتيَ غيرهُ

ولم أرَ أنِّي عند ذلك ظالمه

So I chose none but him from all my trusted friends

For I saw no wrong in doing so at the time

وقال ليَ التأميلُ فيه ألا ادْعُهُ

لخطْبِكَ لا تَعظُمْ عليك عظائمه

And he advised me, do not call him

To your needs - do not think his burdens too great

فلم أتخيَّرْ بين يأْسٍ ومَطْمع

ولا قلتُ جبسٌ باردُ القلبِ نائمه

So I did not choose between hope and despair

Nor say, his heart is cold and asleep

فبكَّيته حيّاً كَمَيْتٍ فقدتُهُ

وما الميْتُ إلا من تموتُ مكارمه

I wept for him while alive as if he were dead and gone

For the dead are those whose virtues die

فلا تَلْحَهُ يا ابنَ الكرامِ وأعْفِهِ

فما لوْمُ من لم تَبْقَ إلا رمائمه

Do not blame him, o son of nobility, but forgive him

For nothing remains of him but ruins

نعائي أبا يحيى إليك فإنَّهُ

تداعتْ معانيهِ وبادتْ معالمه

I complain to you Abu Yahya about him

For his qualities have vanished and his traits faded

فخُذْ في مراثي من تبدَّلَ بالعُلا

سَفالاً فما تُجدى عليكَ مَلاوِمه

So speak in your elegies of one who was exalted

And is now degraded, so do not persist in blaming him

غدا خادماً للشُّحِّ والشُّحُّ ربُّه

وعهدي به بالأمسِ والجودُ خادمه

Tomorrow he will be a servant of greed, and greed is his lord

While yesterday generosity was his servant