جَنى ما جَنى وانصَرَف

وأنكرَ ثمَّ اعترَف

He reaped what he reaped then left,

Denied at first then confessed,

وظنَّ بأنَّ القِصا

صَ يَمنَعُ منه التَّرَف

Thinking the short poem would prevent indulgence,

Yet you have a hint from him,

وعندكَ مِن طَرفِهِ

وممَّا جَناه طَرَف

And of what he reaped, a hint,

So ask his cheek, why did it show,

فسَل صُدغَه لِم بَدا

ولمَّا بَدا لِم وَقَف

And when it showed, why did it stop,

For he thought it’s acceptable

وكانَ عَلى أنَّه

يَجوزُ المَدى فانعَطَف

To exceed, so he veered,

If only he walked his walk

وأَلا سَعى سَعيَهُ

فأنصَفَنا وانتَصَف

So he’d be fair and take revenge,

And time, his age got old,

ودَهرٌ عَلا سِنُّه

فبانَ علَيه الخَرَف

Exposing his senility,

He went with the ways of dew,

مَضى بطِباع النَّدى

فلم يُبقِ إلا الكُلَف

Leaving nothing but pretense,

Had it not been, it wouldn’t have been,

ولَو لَم تَكُن لَم يكُن

لها خَلفٌ يا خَلَف

For it to have a successor, O successor!