أَمِن خَيال هُداه الشَوق وَالحِلم

ظَلَّت دموعك فَوق الخَدِّ تَنسَجِمُ

Is it from the fantasy of his desire and dream

That your tears harmonized atop the cheek?

وَظِلَت تَستَفهِم الأَطلال ما فعلت

وَكَيفَ يَفهَمُ شَخصٌ مالَهُ فَهِمُ

And the ruins kept asking what you did

And how can one without understanding understand?

حاشاك حاشاك أَن تَبكي لِغانِيَةٍ

تَبكي عَلَيكَ قَليلاً ثُمَّ تَبتَسِمُ

Far be it for you to cry for a singing girl

Who cries over you a little, then smiles

ما يَجلِب الدَمع بَعدَ العُدمِ مَنفَعَة

عِندَ الفِراقِ وَلا ضُرٌّ وَلا سَقَمُ

What benefit is there in tears after death

During farewell, neither harm nor illness

ما كانَ يدنيه إِكثار يقَرِّبه

أَقصاه منك وَإِن أَدنيته عَدَمُ

That which intimacy did not bring near, abundance made distant

Even if you brought it closer, it was still nonexistent

قُل لِلَّذينَ مُرادي قَبلَ بينهم

فَسَلَّموني إِلى الأَوصابِ لا سَلِموا

Tell those whose intention I was before between them

So they handed me over to the predators, they did not make peace

وَلِلزَّمانِ الَّذي أَخنى عَلى جَلدي

كن كَيفَ شِئتَ فَلي جَدٌّ وَمُعتَصِمُ

And time which betrayed my skin

Be however you want, for I have a purpose and protector

أَعني أَبا حَسنٍ موسى الَّذي يَده

مأوى العفاة وَتبدي شكرها أُمَمُ

I mean Abu Hasan Musa whose hand

Is refuge of the destitute and her gratitude encompasses nations

هَذا الوَزير الَّذي نُعماه قَد شهدت

لَهُ البَرايا ومنه البؤس وَالنِعَمُ

This minister whom prosperity witnessed for him

Through it desolation and blessing

السَيد الكامِل الشَهم الأَديب وَمَن

يَزهو بِراحَتِهِ القُرطاسُ وَالقَلَمُ

The perfect master, valiant literary figure and he

For whose comfort the paper and pen glory

يَدٌ تَقلِّم أَظفارَ الخُطوبِ لَهُ

رأي يكل لديه الصارِم الخَذِمُ

A hand which trims the claws of calamities he has

An opinion whereby the fierce and stubborn are subdued

ذو عِزَّةٍ بِسَناها تَنجَلي الظُلم

وَراحَة بنداها يُطرَد العَدَمُ

Of such honor that by its authority injustice is illuminated

And of such comfort that by its intimacy adversity is expelled

ما حَلَّ مِن جُودِهِ عقد اللَهى كرماً

إِلّا وَأَضحى لَدَيهِ المَجدُ مُلتَطِمُ

No knot of sorrows was resolved from his generosity except

That glory in his presence was shattered

وَلا بَكَت أَعيُن الأَموالِ مِن يَدِهِ

إِلّا وَثغر الأَماني منه مُبتَسِمُ

Nor did the eyes of riches weep from his hand

Except that the lips of wishes through it smiled

يا مَن إِذا ورد السُؤال ساحَته

رأت ما ملكت كَفّاه يُقتسَمُ

O you whom when asked, his court saw

What his two hands possessed being divided

راجي يَديك أَتى مُستَفدياً وَبِهِ

مِمّا يُعانيه مِن أَيامِهِ أَلَمِ

A hopeful came to your hands taking benefit

From what pains his days brought him

فافكِكهُ مِن أَسر دَهرٍ هَدَّ جانبه

فَإِنَّهُ سَجايا نفسك الكَرَمُ

So release him from the shackles of time which ruined his side

For it is your generous nature to pardon

فاِستَغنِم الشُكر فيما قَد تَمَنُّ بِهِ

فَالشُكرُ أَفضَل ما تَحوي وَتَغتَنِمُ

So take advantage of gratitude for what you wish for

For gratitude is the best that you can gain and covet