وَما أَنزَرَ الطَرفَ فيمَن نَرى

وَلَو أَصبَحوا مِلحَصى أَكثَرا

How scarce are those worthy of a glance among all we see,

Even if they were more numerous than the pebbles of the earth,

سِوى رَجُلٍ ضَمِنَتهُ الطَريقُ

وَنَحنُ ضُحىً نَقصُدُ العَسكَرا

Save for a man whom the road brought together with us,

As we headed toward Al-Askar in the brightness of the forenoon.

فَقالَ وَأَزكَنَني شاعِراً

وَأَزكَنتُهُ فَطِناً مُفكِرا

He spoke, intuitively perceiving me to be a poet,

Just as I perceived him to be sharp-witted and deep in thought.

أَتُنشِدُني بَعضَ ما صُغتَهُ

وَلا تَدَعِ الأَجوَدَ الأَفخَرا

He asked, "Will you recite to me some of what you have crafted,"

"And do not omit the finest and most glorious verse?"

فَأَنشَدتُهُ مِدَحَ البَرمَكِيِّ

أَبي الفَضلِ أَعني الفَتى جَعفَرا

So I recited to him the praises of the Barmakid,

Abu al-Fadl—by whom I mean the noble youth, Ja'far.

فَأَعجَبَني ظُرفُهُ إِذ يَقولُ

مَديحُكَ دُرٌّ فَهَل دَرَّرا

I was charmed by his wit when he then remarked:

"Your praise is a pearl, but did it yield a flow of bounty?"