لا تَقْصِدنَّ لحاجةٍ

إلا امرأً فَرِحاً بنفسِهْ

Do not seek out someone in need,

Except for a man happy with himself,

أنَّى يُسَرُّ بمدحه

من لا يُسر بضوء شمسِهْ

For how can one who finds no joy in his own light,

Be gladdened by your praise?

أم كيف يهتز امرؤٌ

غَرِضٌ بمهجته وعِرسه

Or how can a man shake

Who is steadfast in his pleasure and honor,

نكَّب هُدِيتَ من الرجا

ل يُوقَّ جدُّك جُلَّ تعسه

If you turn away the gift of hope -

His seriousness will not diminish his wretchedness.

مِمراضَهُمْ وذميمَهم

وقريبَهُم من وِردِ رمسه

Keep away from their diseases and their disgrace,

And those close to the blossoms of mercury,

وعلى ذوي عاهاتهم

يوم يدمرهم بِنحسه

And upon those with their own afflictions -

On a day when misfortune destroys them.

ومُشَهّريهم في الأنا

م بظلم آملِهم وبخسه

And their informants in gossip -

With the injustice of their hopes and their stinginess.

سخِطَ الإله على أُولَ

ئك إنهم من شر غرسه

God is angry with those people -

Indeed they are from the worst of His creation.

وعدا الزمان عليهم

طُراً فألحقهم بأمسه

And time has turned against them -

Sending them back to their past.

فهمُ الألى ما منهمُ

أحد يمس ندىً بخمسه

They are the lowest, none among them

Can touch a bit of dew with their palms.

لَلْنجم أقربُ منهمُ

من كف ملتمسٍ ولمسه

The stars are closer to them

Than the palm of a beggar and his touch.

ومتى كسوتهمُ الهجا

ء فإنه بَهجٌ بلُبسِه

And when they are clothed in disgrace, it is a joy in their garb,

They are accustomed to touching disgrace, so they care not for its touch.

قد عُوّدوا مسَّ الهوا

ن فمالهم حَفلٌ بمسه

They sell out to any flatterer -

Who has not strained his beggar with a frown.

يفدون كل سمَيْدعٍ

لم يَشْق سائله بعبسه

Like Abu Al-Muhannad, he is

Surely the hope and intuition of his suitor.

كأبي المهند إنه

كيقينِ راجيه وحدسه

A king who hastens to gift

And does not consider delaying his bounty,

ملكٌ يعجّل بالعطا

ء ولا يرى إعمالَ حبسه

And in action he inclines to the noble, not the lowly,

He builds on his foundation,

وإلى الأجلِّ من الفعا

ل تراه يجنح لا أخَسِّه

And the stability of a building is in its base.

He has thrown his love to honesty -

يبني على آساسه

وَقِوامُ بنيانٍ بِأُسِّه

They are the children of his own kind.

And when his nobility is provoked,

ألقى هواه على البريْ

يةِ إنَهم أبناء جنسه

The lion encounters the equipment of his horse.

He embraces his executioner

ومتى استُثير عُرامُه

لقي الأسود جهيزَ فَرسه

Before the flogger - and his flogger before his subjugator.

And his assailant before the struggle -

قبلَ الجِلادِ عناقُهُ

وجلادهُ من قبل دعسه

That passes the length of his guarding.

So you see the lions fleeing

وطعانهُ قبل النضا

ل يُمرُّ ذلك طولَ حرسه

From him when his bells are rattled,

And when he is free of a stubborn,

فترى الليوثَ هوارباً

منه إذا نذِرتْ بجرسِه

Huge lover - that is his day of humility,

And when he abstains early from his praise -

وإذا خلا من مَغرمٍ

ضخمٍ فذلك يومُ وَكسه

That is his wedding day.

God has placed over him

وإذا اجتلى من مَدْحه

بِكراً فذلك يومُ عُرسه

A protection that guards him like his dominion,

And has turned to him from the Caliph

جعل الإله عليه وا

قيةً تقيه مثلَ باسه

A face of enjoyment and charm.

For they are his love and concern,

وثنى إليه عن الخلي

فة وجهَ ممتاح وعَنْسِه

And his imam from before his knowledge.

His effects whispered to me

فهما هواه وهمُّه

وإمامه من قبل درسه

Of his skill before his whisper.

Like the singer, his melodies

همَسَتْ إليَّ بفضله

آثارهُ من قبل همسه

Spoke of his dexterity from the plucking of his strings.

One whose praise is reflected -

مثل المغني أنبأتْ

عن حذقه نغماتُ جَسِّه

Then the praise in him is without reflection.

Let not the owners of heights boast -

من كان يُعكَس مدحُهُ

فالمدح فيه بغير عكسه

For boasting is the crown of his head.

لا يفخرنَّ ذوو العلا

إن المفاخرَ تاجُ رأسه