أَبو عَلِيٍّ قَد تَجافاني

وَكانَ مِن أَكبرِ خُلاّني

Abu Ali has estranged me

And he was one of my best friends

وَكانَ مَشغوفاً بِذِكري فَقَد

أَعرَضَ عَنّي وَتَناساني

And he was enthralled by the mention of me, but he

Turned away from me and forgot me

وَاِعتَلَّ رَسمي عِندَهُ بَعدَ ما

صَحَّ لَهُ سِرّي وَإِعلاني

And my image faded in his eyes after

My secrets and my affairs became clear to him

وَقَد مَضى عامٌ وَقَد كَرَّ بال

مَطلِ عَلى أَعقابِهِ ثاني

And a year has passed and autumn has returned

Following in its footsteps again

وَليسَ لي مِنهُ سِوى أَنَّهُ

يَبعَثُ لي أَقراصَ بُرشانِ

And all I have from him is that

He sends me some almond cakes

كَأَنَّني راهِبُ قِلّايَةٍ

مِن بَعضِ قِلّاياتِ نَجرانِ

As if I were a monk from one of

The monasteries of Najran

فَاِنصِت لَكَ الخَيرُ إِلى شاعِرٍ

يَبيعُكَ الشِعرَ بِرُغفانِ

So listen, it's best for you, to a poet

Who sells you poetry for loaves of bread

وَاِفطِر وَعَيِّد مَع تَوانيكَ في

إِنفاذِ رَسمي أَلفَ نيسانِ

And break your fast and celebrate with your lateness in

Sending out my image a thousand times in April

فَليسَ في الحَلواءِ لي مَطمَعٌ

فيكَ وَفي البُرشانِ قَولانِ

For I have no craving in sweets

In you or in the almond cakes, there are two sayings