يضِنُّ أبو عيسى علينا بقطنةٍ
كأن أبا إسحاقَ ليس بحاضرِ
Abu Isa is stingy with a piece of cotton towards us
As if Abu Ishaq is not present
وفي جودِ إبراهيم طال بقاؤه
لنا عِوض مُعتاضُهُ غير خاسِر
And due to Ibrahim's generosity, his stay with us was prolonged
His substitute does not make us lose
إليك أبا عيسى بقطنك إننا
لنا سيدٌ مستأثِر بالمآثر
O Abu Isa, your cotton, we
Have a master who excels in glories
أبت لابن حماد مساعيه أن يُرى
إذا ابتدر الساعون غيرَ مبادر
I refused Ibn Hammad's efforts to be seen
If the eager ones start without being first
كريم يرى الأموال شرّ ذخيرةٍ
بعينٍ ترى المعروف خير الذخائر
A generous one who sees wealth as the worst treasure
With an eye that sees benefaction as the best treasures
تناولني منه ببرٍّ شكرتُهُ
عليه ولم يطلب به شكر شاكر
He offered me some out of righteousness, I thanked him
For it and he did not ask for any thanksgiving from the thankful one
رأى نِيقا يستقرق النعتَ كله
جميلاً محيّاه حميد المخابرِ
He saw Naqa deserve all the praise
Beautiful, his honesty, praiseworthy in fellowship
تضن به الأم الرؤوم على ابنها
وإن كان مأمولاً لسدّ المفاقرِ
A merciful mother is stingy towards her son
Though he is hoped to fill the gaps
له نَفَسٌ قبلَ المذاقِ كأنما
بديهته أنفاسُ غيداءَ عاطرِ
He has a soul, before tasting, as if
Its intuition is the breath of a fragrant blossom
تحيةُ مُشتمٍّ مَلذَّةُ طاعمٍ
إذا ملكتهُ الكفُّ نزهة ناظر
The greeting of a smeller is the pleasure of a taster
If the palm possesses it, it is a delight for the beholder
فأهداه لي أهدى له الله نعمةً
محصَّنةً من سوء دَوْر الدوائر
So he gifted it to me, may Allah gift him a
Protected blessing from the turns of fate
وكنت أخا ضَعفٍ فأنهض مُنَّتي
وما زال معروفاً بأيمن طائر
And I was a brother of weakness, so he rehabilitated my favour
And he still performs good with the rightest omen
وإني لأرجو منه قطناً لكسوتي
وأي كريمٍ مُطعِمٍ غيرُ ساتر
And I still hope to get a piece of cotton from him for my clothes
And which generous feeder is not a coverer?
وما لأبي عيسى هنالك مِنَّةٌ
ولكنْ لإبراهيم تاجُ المفاخر
And Abu Isa has no favour over there
But Ibrahim has the crown of prides
فتىً حل من بيت الحُلُومة والتقى
وبذل العطايا منزلاً غير داثر
A young man came from the house of bounty and fate met him
And gave away gifts settling in a non-perishing place
محلاً إذا وافاه للرِّفد وفده
رأى خير معمورٍ وأفضل عامر
A place, whenever its supplying delegation visits it
Sees the best developed and most virtuous populated
فتى لا تراه فاخراً بمكانه
على أنه فوق النجوم الزواهر
A young man you do not see him bragging about his status
Though he is above the shiny stars
وما وضعْته همةٌ دون مَفْخرٍ
ولكنها أعلتْه فوق المفاخرِ
And no ambition placed him below pride
But it raised him above prides
إذا شِيمُ الأحرار حالت فأصبحت
إماءً أبى منهن غيرَ الحرائرِ
When the morals of the noble attach, they become
Slave girls who refuse all but the noblewomen
