رميتُ أسْهُمَ آمالي فَلَمْ تُصِبِ

ورحتُ أدعو النَّدى جهراً فلم يُجبِ

I cast my hopes but did not hit the mark

And went around calling out loudly but got no response

وخابَ ظنّي فيمنْ كنتُ أحسبه

أبرّ من رحمي الأَدْنى وأرحم بي

And my expectations were dashed regarding one I thought

Kinder than my own soul and more merciful to me

أَهْلُ الفضائل والخيل الصَّواهل

والسّمر الذّوابل والخطيّةِ القُضب

The people of virtues, the courageous horses

And the continuing nights of entertainment and pleasure

وَمَنْ إليهمْ تناهى كلُّ مكرمةٍ

وَمَنْ بهمْ عزَّ قلبُ الجحفلِ اللجبِ

And whoever attained with them every glory

And whoever's heart was strengthened through their valor

ومَنْ أَنامِلُهُم جوداً لآمِلِهمْ

في كلِّ مخمصةٍ تُغني عن السُّحبِ

And whoever their hands were generous to the hopeful

In every perilous situation they suffice instead of misfortune

ما لي وقد جئتُ ناديكم ألوذُ به

رَجَعتُ عَنهُ أسير الهمّ والكرب

What is wrong with me, I came seeking you for refuge

Yet went away captive of worries and distress

حبّرتُ فيكمْ برودَ المدحِ مُعْلَمةً

فما حَصَلْتُ على شيءٍ سِوى التّعب

I exhausted praising you in poetry knowing

That I gained nothing but fatigue

حاشاكُم ما لِبخْلٍ تمنعونَ فتىً

وَفاكُمْ ببديعِ النظم مُنْتَخبِ

Far from you to deny a youth out of stinginess

Your excellent poetry is carefully selected

أينَ النّوال الذي ما زال دأبكمُ

بهِ ملكتمْ رقاب العُجم والعَرب

Where is the bounty which your habit has always been

Through it you conquered the necks of non-Arabs and Arabs

وأينَ ما قد عَهِدنا من تَلطفّكمْ

بكلّ مُنْتزحِ الأَوطانِ مُغترب

And where is what we were accustomed to of your kindness

To every outcast far from homeland, estranged

وكيفَ خابتْ ظنوني في أكفّكمُ

وظنّ غيري فيكم قطّ لم يَخبِ

And how my hopes in your palms were dashed

And others' hopes in you have never waned

وما أقولُ لِمنْ قد جاء يسألني

عنكم ومثلي لا يَصبْوا إلى الكذبَ

And what can I say to one who comes asking me

About you when the likes of me incline not toward lies

أَمَا بِكمْ تُضربُ الأَمثالُ سائرةً

في المجدِ والجودِ والعلياء والحَسَب

Indeed, concerning you the examples travel

Of glory, generosity, nobility, and distinction

والله ما قصّرت منّي مدائحكم

وإنّما أدركتني حرفةُ الأدب

By God, my praises of you were not lacking

But the craft of literature overtook me

يا ويحَ قلبيَ كم ظلَّتْ تُقلّبهُ

أيدي الهموم على فرشٍ من اللّهب

Oh my heart, how hands of worries kept tossing it

On a bed of flames

ولهفَ نفسي لَو أجدى وَوَا حرَبَا

لو كان ينفعني إن قلتُ وا حَرَبي

And my soul longs, if lamenting availed or crying "alas"

If it benefited me, I'd say "woe is me"

أفي المروءةِ أن تظمَى وقَد صَدرتْ

عَنْ بَحْر جودٍ بعيد القَعْر مضْطربِ

Is it chivalrous to be thirsty when an ocean

Of generosity flowed from a deep, agitated sea

فإن أعدْ خائباً عن بابِكم فلقَدْ

قلّدتكمْ بعقُود الدرّ والذَّهب

If I return disappointed from your door then I have

Adorned you with necklaces of pearls and gold

وقلتُ فيكم مديحاً لو مدحتُ به

شمس الضحّى لَسَخَتْ بالأنجم الشّهُبِ

And I have praised you in a way if I praised

The morning sun with it, stars would be extinguished

وقدْ رميتُ عِدي فَقْري بنائلكمْ

لكنّني لِسواد الحظِّ لم أصُبِ

And I have cast my poverty upon your thresholds

But because of the darkness of my fortune I did not succeed

هي السَّعادةُ إن تبدُو مطالعُها

يُحْظَ الفتى ببلوغ السُّولِ والأربِ

Good fortune it is if its rising appears

So the youth attains goals and graces

وإن يكن غيرها والحرُّ مُمتَحَنٌ

فما عَلَى مَن أقام العذرَ بالطّلبِ

And if it is otherwise and the free man is tested

There is no blame upon one who stood with excuses seeking

يا دهرُ كم أتلَقّى كلَّ نائبةٍ

بِعَزْمِ ذي جلدٍ يُوهي قُوى النّوب

Oh time, how I have faced every affliction

With determined resolve that defeats the forces of distress

وكم أُصبّر نَفْساً طالَ ما طَعمتْ

طعْمَ البلاَ في طلابِ المجد كالضَّرب

And how I make a soul patient that has long tasted

The taste of trials in seeking glory like being beaten

وكم أُومِّلُ والآمالُ تَعكسُ

آمالي وتمنعُني عن نَيل مُطلَبي

And how I wish while hopes turn away

My hopes and prevent me from attaining my wants

وكم أُردِّدُ زفراتي وأكتمُهَا

خَوفاً مِن الحاسِد الغيّارِ يَشْمتُ بي

And how I repeat my sighs and conceal them

Fearing the jealous rival would gloat over me

وا حسْرتا لِهُمومِ في الهموم غدتْ

فعّالة فيه فعلَ النارِ في الحطب

Alas for worries that in worries have become

Active in it like the fire's effect on kindling