أَتَيتُ يَحيى وَقَد كا

نَ لي صَديقاً وَوُدّا

I came to Yahya, for he had been

A friend and comrade kind to me,

فَقُلتُ ما بالُ هَذا ال

فَتى اِشمَأَزَّ وَصَدّا

And said “What ails this youth that he

Turns from me horrified and chill?”

فَاِرتَدَّ مِنّي اِرتِدادَ ال

أَسيرِ عايَنَ قَدّا

He shrank from me as captives shrink

Who sudden death before them see.

فَقالَ لي ذو مِزاحٍ

يُصَيِّرُ الهَزلَ جِدّا

Then one who loved a jesting wit

That turned even earnest matters light:

كَذا الكَريمُ إِذا ما

أَرادَ أَن يَتَغَدّى

“So fares it with the nobly bred

If they would cloak their poverty.”