عباس إن ابني لي مفزعٌ

من وحشة العيش ومن نكره

Abbas, my son is my refuge

From the loneliness of living and from hatred

يؤنسني في وحشتي هذره

فلا عدمت الأنس من هذره

His chatter comforts me in my loneliness

I hope his chatter never ceases to comfort me

ووثبه بين ألاعيبه

وكلها أكبر من قدره

And his jumping between his toys

Though they're all too big for him

وضربه هذا وتقبيل ذا

وكلهم ساعٍ إلى بره

Hitting this one and kissing that

And they're all trying to be good to him

وصده طوراً وإقباله

وليس ما يدعو إلى غدره

Pushing one away and turning to another

Though there's no call for deceit

يركب ظهري غير مستغفر

حب به طفلاً على كبره

He rides my back unapologetically

Loving him as a child despite his age

مستهترٌ لا يتقي قالةً

ولا يبالي الناس من فجره

Reckless, fearing no rebuke

And uncaring of people's disapproval

لكنه فاعلم فتى طيع

يبرني حقي من شكره

But know he is an obedient boy

Who repays me for his upbringing

يلثم كفى كل يومٍ ولا

يضن بالقبلة من ثغره

He kisses my hand every day without

Stinting on a kiss from his mouth

أبلغ إلى عزوز أطرابه

وشكره المدفون في صدره

Convey to ‘Azzouz his longings

And the thanks buried in his chest

وقل له إن فتى مازن

يدعوك عزوز إلى مصره

And say to him that a Ma’azini lad

‘Azzouz, calls you to Egypt

أيهما باللَه يا صاحبي

أجمل إذ يخطو إلى عثره

O friend, which by God is more beautiful

When he stumbles in his walk

ومن ترى يا صاحبي منهما

بالسامري أشبه في أمره

And which do you think, my friend

Resembles the Samaritan in his matter

رباه جبريل على دينه

وشب مطويا على غيره

Gabriel raised him in his religion

And he grew covering others

ولم يفده طول تسبيحه

في سره طوراً وفي جهره

And his long glorification did not help

Whether secretly or openly

ولم يغير ذاك من نجره

ولا أحال الفرع عن جذره

And that did not change his carpenter way

Nor turn the branch from its root

لما غدا موسى إلى ربه

أضل إسرائيل من فوره

When Moses went to his Lord

He led Israel astray immediately

وجاءهم بالعجل مستحقراً

أحلامهم يضحك في سره

And he brought them the calf, scorning

Their dreams, laughing secretly

ومن ترى موسى الكليم الذي

رباه فرعون على كفره

And who do you see is Moses the Converser

Whom Pharaoh raised on his disbelief

رياه فرعون فما راعه

إلّا نبيٌّ في فتى بره

Pharaoh saw him and was not deterred

Except by a prophet in a pious lad

يدعو إلى اللَه ورضوانه

وبوعد الجبار في قصره

Calling to God and His approval

And to the Almighty’s promise in his palace

لا مال أخشى منه إتلافه

عباس ي المقبل من عمره

I do not fear the loss of wealth

Abbas, in his advancing years

ولا أباليه إذا ما غدا

يزهد في العيش وفي وفره

Nor do I care if when he grows up

He loses interest in life and its comforts

يعدو على الناس بسوءاته

ولا يصيب الناس من خيره

Assailing people with his sins

Without benefiting people with his virtues

ولست أخشى أن أراه فتىً

قد وسع العالم من شره

And I do not dread seeing him a lad

Who has filled the world with his evil

لكنما أشفق يا صاحبي

من أن يجيش الشعر في صدره

Rather, my friend, I dread

Poetry surging in his chest

من يشتري شعري على حيه

براحة الغافل عن دهره

Who will buy my poetry scorning

The heedless one’s life of ease

من يشتري تغريدتي موهناً

بغطة الذاهل عن فجره

Who will buy my warbling debasing

The oblivious one’s dawn

من يشتري دمعاً يحس الفتى

جولته لا الفيض من قطره

Who will buy a tear that reveals to the lad

Its wandering, not its outpouring

من يشتري نفساً وآلامها

بثقلة المأفوك في فكره

Who will buy a soul and its torments

For one heavily burdened in thought

من يشتري هذا سوى مائق

يسعى برجليه إلى ضره

Who will buy this but a frequenter of wine

Seeking harm with both feet