هَزَزتُكَ هِزَّةَ السَيفِ المُحَلّى

هَزَزتُكَ هِزَّةَ السَيفِ المُحَلّى

فَلَمّا أَن ضَرَبتُ بِكَ اِنثَنَيتُ

فَلَمّا أَن ضَرَبتُ بِكَ اِنثَنَيتُ

I brandished you like an ornamented sword;

I shook you like the drawing of a glittering sword,

But when I struck with you, I recoiled.

Yet when I struck with you, you bent.

مَدَحتُكَ مِدحَةَ الطِرفَ المُجَلّي

مَدَحتُكَ مِدحَةَ الطِرفَ المُجَلّي

لِتَجري في الكِرامِ كَما جَرَيتُ

لِتَجري في الكِرامِ كَما جَرَيتُ

I praised you as one praises a winning steed,

I praised you with the praise of a tempting glance,

So you might race among the noble, as I raced.

That you may flow in generosity as I flowed.

فَهَبها مِدحَةً ذَهَبَت ضِياعاً

فَهَبها مِدحَةً ذَهَبَت ضِياعاً

كَذَبتُ عَلَيكَ فيها وَاِفتَرَيتُ

كَذَبتُ عَلَيكَ فيها وَاِفتَرَيتُ

So consider it praise that went to waste:

But oh, that praise went astray to no purpose,

In it I lied about you and fabricated falsehoods.

I lied about you in it and fabricated.

فَأَنتَ المَرءُ لَيسَ لَهُ وَفاءٌ

فَأَنتَ المَرءُ لَيسَ لَهُ وَفاءٌ

كَأَنّي إِذ مَدَحتُكَ قَد زَنَيتُ

كَأَنّي إِذ مَدَحتُكَ قَد زَنَيتُ

For you are a man with no loyalty.

For you are not a man who is faithful,

As though, when I praised you, I had committed fornication.

As though when I praised you, I had committed adultery.