أراني كلَّما أنكرتُ قَولاً

أراني كلَّما أنكرتُ قَولاً

أُعابُ بِه يُقالُ حكى العُدَيلُ

أُعابُ بِه يُقالُ حكى العُدَيلُ

I find that whenever I disavow a saying,

Whenever I denied a saying,

For which I am reproached, they say, “Al-Udayl recounted it.”

I was reproached for it, it was said the just narrated it.

وَهذا كانَ يحسُنُ منكَ عِندي

وَهذا كانَ يحسُنُ منكَ عِندي

لياليَ كان بي شَغَفٌ ومَيلُ

لياليَ كان بي شَغَفٌ ومَيلُ

And this from you once seemed good to me,

And this was good from you in my view,

In nights when passion and desire filled me.

Nights when I had passion and inclination for you.

وكانَ نهارُ وَجهِكَ ذا مُنيراً

وكانَ نهارُ وَجهِكَ ذا مُنيراً

طَليقَ النُّورِ لَم يَحضُرهُ لَيلُ

طَليقَ النُّورِ لَم يَحضُرهُ لَيلُ

And the daylight of this face of yours was radiant,

And your face in daylight was radiant,

Unfettered in radiance; no night came upon it.

Free of light, no night attended it.

وكانَ العِزُّ بي لكُم ومنِّي

وكانَ العِزُّ بي لكُم ومنِّي

يُجَرُّ عَلَيكُم لِلذَّيلِ ذَيلُ

يُجَرُّ عَلَيكُم لِلذَّيلِ ذَيلُ

And honor was yours through me, and from me

And honor was mine for you and from me

Train upon train was drawn over you.

Drawing after you tail upon tail.

رَضيتُ الشعرَ دون الشِّعرِ هَجواً

رَضيتُ الشعرَ دون الشِّعرِ هَجواً

لَكُم فلَكم بِه حَربٌ وَوَيلُ

لَكُم فلَكم بِه حَربٌ وَوَيلُ

I have accepted hair, rather than verse, as satire

I was satisfied with poetry below poetry, a satire

Against you—so through it, war and woe are yours.

For you, so for you through it is war and woe.