مَدَحتُ أَبا العَبّاسِ لِلحَينِ ضَلَّةً

أُؤَمِّلُ فيهِ فَضلَ مَن مالُهُ فَضلُ

I have praised Abu Al-Abbas wrongly for a while,

Hoping for the favor of one whose favor is futile.

مَدَحتُ اِمرَأً لَو كانَ بِالغَيثِ مابِهِ

لَما بَلَّ وَجهَ الأَرضِ مِن قَطرِهِ وَبلُ

I praised a man who, had he possessed rain,

The face of the earth would not be damp from his drizzle.

لَئيمَ الجُدودِ وَالفِعالِ فَما لَهُ

أَبٌ داخِلٌ في الأَكرَمينَ وَلا فِعلُ

Wretched in generosity and action - what fault has he?

A father counted among the most generous without action.

لَهُ هِمَّةٌ لَوفَرَّقَ اللَهُ شَملَها

عَلى الناسِ لَم يُجمَع لِمَكرُمَةٍ شَملُ

He has ambition - had Allah dispersed it among people,

No assembly of honor would have been gathered for benevolence.

لَهُ حَسَبٌ لَو كانَ لِلشَمسِ لَم تُنِر

وَلِلماءِ لَم يَعذُب وَلِلنَجمِ لَم يَعلُ

He has a pedigree - had it belonged to the sun, it would not have shone,

Or to water, it would not have been fresh, or to a star, it would not have risen.