وإنَّ النَّدى بَينَ الوَرى لغَريبةٌ

وإنَّ النَّدى بَينَ الوَرى لغَريبةٌ

إِذا هيَ لاحَت من يَمينِ فَتىً فَتَن

إِذا هيَ لاحَت من يَمينِ فَتىً فَتَن

And generosity is indeed a stranger among humankind;

The dew between people is strange,

when it gleams from a young man's right hand, it bewitches.

When it appears from the right of a young man, it seduces.

وهل نافِعي أنِّي أبَيتُ اعتِراضَها

وهل نافِعي أنِّي أبَيتُ اعتِراضَها

إِذا لَم تَكُن تأباهُ لي نِوبُ الزَّمَن

إِذا لَم تَكُن تأباهُ لي نِوبُ الزَّمَن

And does it help me that I refused to seek it,

What good is my night vigil resisting it,

if time's calamities do not refuse it on my behalf?

If fate does not wish me to resist the turns of time?

إلى كَم يُباعُ الحمدُ في غَيرِ أهلِهِ

إلى كَم يُباعُ الحمدُ في غَيرِ أهلِهِ

ببَخسٍ أما للحَمدِ أهلٌ ولا ثَمَن

ببَخسٍ أما للحَمدِ أهلٌ ولا ثَمَن

How long will praise be sold to those unworthy of it,

For how little praise is sold among the unworthy,

for a pittance? Has praise neither worthy recipients nor a price,

At paltry prices! As if praise has no people or value,

سِوى ابنِ عُبيدِ اللَّهِ هذا وجُوده

سِوى ابنِ عُبيدِ اللَّهِ هذا وجُوده

ظَلَمتُ إذا ما قلتُ بعدَك ثُمَّ مَن

ظَلَمتُ إذا ما قلتُ بعدَك ثُمَّ مَن

save this Ibn Ubayd Allah and his generosity?

Other than Ibn Ubayd Allah. Such is his generosity -

I wrong you when I say, 'After you—who, then?'

I do wrong when I say, after you, then who?

كأنِّي اتَّخذتُ المَكرُماتِ أدِلَّةً

كأنِّي اتَّخذتُ المَكرُماتِ أدِلَّةً

وسِرتُ فَدلَّتني عليكَ أبا الحَسَن

وسِرتُ فَدلَّتني عليكَ أبا الحَسَن

It is as though I took noble deeds as guides,

As though I made favors my guide,

and journeyed; they led me to you, Abu al-Hasan.

And they led me to you, Abu al-Hasan.