إذا ما مدَحْتَ المرءَ تطلب رفدَه

ولم تَرج فيه الخيرَ إلا بِذَلكا

If you praise a man seeking his favor

And wish him well only for that purpose

فأنت له أهْجَى البريَّة نيَّةً

وإن كنتَ قد أطريْتَهُ في مقالِكا

You are to him like a howling desert wolf

Though you embellished him in your speech

وأمْدَحُ ما تُلْفَى لمن أنتَ سائلٌ

إذا ما طرحْتَ المَدْحَ عند سُؤالكا

But I praise what you request from one whose favor you seek

When you cast off praise at his asking

وطالبْتَ جدْاوه بغيرِ وسيلةٍ

كما طالبتْ يُمْناكَ ما في شِمالكا

And seek his bounty through no means

As you sought your right hand with your left

مُدِلّاً عليه واثِقاً بسماحِهِ

ترى مالهُ دلّاً عليه كمالِكا

Hinting at it, trusting in his generosity

Seeing his wealth as guide enough

هل المدحُ إلا تركُك المدحَ مُلقياً

على كرمِ المسئولِ عبء اتِّكالكا

For praise is but to relinquish praise

Casting the burden of your need upon the generous man's nobility

ترى جودَهْ يُغنيك عن كل وُصْلةٍ

وعن كُلِّ ما تُدْلي به من حِبالكا

Seeing his liberality free you from every bond

And from all the ropes you cast

ولا تتمارى في إحاطةِ علمِهِ

بمَكْنون ما أخطرْتَ فيه ببالكا

Do not compete with the reach of his knowledge

With what you entertained secretly in your mind

فتمدحُهُ بالفَهم والجودِ صامتاً

ولم يحتفلْ ذو منطق كاحتفالكا

So praise him silently for his discernment and nobility

Not clamoring as you did before

هنالك أسْمَعْتَ القلوبَ مديحَهُ

وإن أنتَ لم تُسْمِعْهُ أذْناً هنالكا

There you will hear hearts praising him

Even if you do not make it reach the ears

مديحاً يعيه القلبُ لا السمعُ سالكاً

مسالكَ ليس القولُ فيهنَّ سالِكا

A praise the heart knows though the hearing does not

Traveling paths where speech cannot tread