بَسَطَت إِلَيَّ بَنانَةً أُسروعا

تَصِفُ الفِراقَ وَمُقلَةً يُنبوعا

She extended to me a soft branch describing separation and an overflowing spring of sorrow.

Its words almost became tears from the gentleness of lament.

كادَت لِعِرفانِ النَوى أَلفاظُها

مِن رِقَّةِ الشَكوى تَكونُ دُموعا

But the voice of a blamer blaming me unjustly,

would be justice, by your life, if you blamed a listener.

بَل صَوتُ عاذِلَةٍ عَراني مَوهِناً

عَدلٌ لَعَمرُكَ لَو عَذَلتَ سَميعا

Should I blame one whose hands were stingy and overbearing

when stinginess is a disgrace? That was an ugly deed.

أَأَلومُ مَن بَخِلَت يَداهُ وَأَغتَدي

لِلبُخلِ تِرباً ساءَ ذاكَ صَنيعا

I refused and disobeyed the blamers and was overbearing

while being obedient to the beggars since I was a child.

آبى فَأَعصي العاذِلينَ وَأَغتَدي

في تالِدي لِلسائِلينَ مُطيعا

Wearing the manners of generosity—they are indeed

armor for the honors of the generous.

مُتَسَربِلاً خُلُقَ المَكارِمِ إِنَّها

جُعِلَت لِأَعراضِ الكِرامِ دُروعا

And trying his veils, I found him

a star rising above the barefoot caravan.

وَمُحَجَّبٍ حاوَلتُهُ فَوَجَدتُهُ

نَجماً عَلى الرَكبِ العُفاةِ شَسوعا

When I missed his gift, I missed him—

my gratitude and joy missed each other.

لَمّا عَدِمتُ نَوالَهُ أَعدَمتُهُ

شُكري فَرُحنا مُعدَمَينِ جَميعا