أضحى وزيراً أبو يَعْلى وحُقَّ له

بعد المشارطِ والمقراضِ والجلَمِ

Abu Ya'la has now become vizier, as was his right,

After the inkstand and the pen and the pumice-stone.

قد قال قومٌ وغاظتهم كتابتُه

لو شئت يا ربِّ ما علَّمتَ بالقلمِ

Some people spoke evil of his writing to me, saying:

"If only You had not, O Lord, taught writing with the pen!"