أَبا أَحْمَدٍ كَيْفَ اسْتَجزْتَ جَفائِي

وَكَيْفَ أُضِيعَتْ خُلَّتِي وَإِخائِي

O Abu Ahmad, how could you bear my aloofness

And how was my intimacy and brotherhood lost?

وَهَبْنِي حُرِمْتُ الْجُودَ عِنْدَ طِلابِهِ

فَكَيْفَ حُرِمْتُ الْبِشْرَ عِنْدَ لِقائِي

My generosity brought me dignity among seekers

Yet how did I lose the joy of seeing loved ones?

نأَيْتَ عَلى قُرْبٍ مِنَ الدّارِ بَيْنَنا

وَكُلُّ قَرِيبٍ لا يَوَدُّكَ نائِي

You came close to my home though distance was between us

While each close one does not wish you to be near

كَأَنَّكَ لَمْ تُصْمِ الْحَسُودَ بِمَنْطِقِي

وَلَمْ تُلْبِسِ الأَيّامَ ثَوْبَ ثَنائِي

As if you never silenced the envious with my words

Nor dressed the days in the garb of my praise

لَئِنْ كانَ عُزِّي قَبْلَها عَنْ مَوَدَّةٍ

صَدِيقٌ لَقَدْ حُقَّ الْغَدَاةَ عَزائِي

If my pride before was from a friend's affection

A friend - the morning's right made my pride grief

وَفي أَيِّ مَأْمُولٍ يَصِحُّ لآمِلٍ

رَجاءٌ إذا ما اعْتَلَّ فِيكَ رَجائِي

And what hope can be proper for a hopeful one

If my hope in you is gone and failed?

أُعِيذُكَ بِالنَّفْسِ الْكَرِيمَةِ أَنْ تُرى

مُخِلاًّ بِفَرْضِ الْجُودِ في الْكُرَماءِ

I implore you by your noble soul not to appear

Breaking the duty of generosity among the generous

وَبِالْخُلُقِ السَّهْلِ الَّذِي لَوْ سَقَيْتَهُ

غَليلَ الثَّرى لَمْ يَرْضَ بَعْدُ بِماءِ

And by your easy nature - if you were to give it drink

To the thirst of the land, it still would not be quenched

فَلا تَزْهَدَنْ في صالِحِ الذِّكْرِ إِنَّما

يَلِيقُ رِداءُ الْفَضْلِ بِالْفُضَلاءِ

So do not spurn righteous mention - it only befits

The mantle of virtue to be worn by the virtuous

فَلَيْسَ بِمَحْظُوظٍ مِنَ الْحَمْدِ مَنْ غَدا

وَلَيْسَ لَهُ حَظٌّ مِنَ الشُّعَراءِ

For he who wakes without praise is not fortunate

And he has no share among the poets