أبا حسنٍ لم أمْسِ من حال بالكمْ
وإن كنتُم تُمسون من حالِ باليا
Abu Hasan, I have not changed in my affection for you all
Even if you have changed in your affection for me
أتَنْسونَ من يَرعَى لكْم كلَّ ليلةٍ
نجومَ القوافي والنجومَ التَّوالِيَا
Do you forget the one who composes verses for you every night?
The rhyming stars and the successive stars?
تُذيقونني حتى إذا ما تَشَوَّقَتْ
مُنايَ بدا لي مُنْكُمُ ما بدا ليا
You made me yearn until when my soul desired
One of you appeared to me as he appeared to me
فتذويقُ إشباع هَدَى اللَّه سعيكُمْ
وإلا فحسماً يتركُ القلبَ ساليا
Your bestowing to satiate is guided by Allah's guidance
Otherwise, decisively, the heart moves on
أمبتورةٌ عندي صنيعةُ كامل
وقد شَهِدَتْ آراؤه بكماليا
In my eyes the work of Kamal is incomplete
Though his views have been witnessed as perfect
فتىً زيدَ في الأخلاقِ والخَلْقِ بسطَةً
بأمثالها نالَ الرجالُ المعاليا
A young man, Zayd, excelled in morals and creation with openness
With the likes of him, men attained glories
أتمَّ له الإحسانُ حُسْنَ روائهِ
وأضحى من الإحسان والحُسْنِ حاليا
Goodwill perfected the goodness of his narration
And he became immersed in goodwill and goodness
يقول لمنْ يلحاه في بَذْلِ مالِهِ
أَأُنفِقُ أيامي وأُمْسِك ماليا
He says to those who insist he give his money
"Should I spend my days and withhold my money?"
نسبناهُ والقوم الكرام إلى العُلى
فكان صريحاً والكرامُ مَواليا
We attributed him, and the generous people, to the Most High
So he was candid while the generous were loyal
لعَمْري لئن أضحى يَسُرُّ زمانَه
سناءٌ لقد ساءَ السنينَ الخواليا
By my life, if his time has become auspicious
It was ill-omened, those past years!
ولم يَخْلُ من شوقٍ إلى وجهه غدٌ
فلا انصرفَ الأمسُ المُودَّع تاليا
No day has passed without yearning for his face
So yesterday's farewell did not turn away
فداهُ أُناسٌ أرخَصَ الحمدَ بُخْلُهُم
وأعلى عطاياهُمْ فأضحتْ غواليا
Ransomed by people whose stinginess belittled praise
And their highest gifts became like embezzlement
يُجِدُّون أثواباً وما يَرْتَضُونها
ويَرْضُونَ أعراضاً رِماماً بواليا
They dress in robes but are not content with them
And they are content with threadbare rags
