خَليلي وَإِن قَصَّرتُ وَالحَقُّ سَيِّدي

أَصِخ لي فَإِنّي مُذ نَأَيتَ لَفي خُسرِ

My friend, though I fall short, the truth is my master

Pity me, for since you left I have been in loss

وَلا تُغفِلَنّي حينَ أَصبَحتُ ثاوِياً

بِأَرحَبَ مِن بَحرٍ وَأَضيَقَ مِن شِبرِ

Do not neglect me now that I wander desolate

In a sea vaster than oceans and narrower than a handspan

وَكُنتُ إِذا اِهتاجَت عَلَيَّ لَواعِجي

وَعاوَدَنِي شَوقي فَأَنحى عَلى فِكري

When cares assailed me and longing took me back

To lost thoughts, I found respite unraveling a parchment

أَرَحتُ اِكتِراثِي أَن أَفُكَّ صَحيفَةً

نَظَمتَ بِها العَلياءَ سَطراً عَلى سَطرِ

On which you inscribed the exalted in line after line

You sent it when company was but fleeting

بَعَثتَ بِها وَالأُنسُ بَعضُ حُداتِها

فَقُل سَيِّدٌ أَهدَى الأَمانَ مِنَ الدَّهرِ

Say, a master gifted refuge from fate's caprice

And a face the scroll framed, though it fade to ashes

وَوَجهٍ بِها زُهراً حَوَتها صَحيفَةٌ

وَإِن تَستَرِب فَليَحوِها مَعدِنُ الدُّرِّ

Let none veil it but the flash of bright blades

Lest it guide amiss and from wisdom stray

وَلا تُمطِيَنها غَيرَ صَهوَةِ بارِقٍ

فَرُبَّتَما أَدَّى وَحادَ عَنِ المَكرِ

For few in this world are true in their faith

You see news until it becomes stale rumor

فَإِنَّ بَني الدُّنيا قَليلٌ وَفاؤُهُم

تَرى خَبَراً حَتّى تَجيءَ إِلى خُبرِ

The mark of one steadfast, if you would know it

Is that he lends the softness of water to the hardness of rock

عَلامَةُ ذي جَدٍّ إِذا ما خَبَرتَهُ

أَفادَكَ لينَ الماءِ في قَسوَةِ الصَّخرِ