بَدرُ تَمٍّ يَثنِيهِ دِعصٌ وخُوطُ

عُذري في عِذارِهِ مَبسُوطُ

The full moon, bent by the howdah and its saddlecloth

My excuse for his blemish being outspread

أيُّ دُرٍّ للثَّقبِ أيُّ كتابٍ

لَو تَأتَّت بِصَفحَتَيهِ الخُطُوطُ

What good are lessons to the unheeding mind

Were the pages to reveal their lines?

وإِذا اغتَرَّ قُلتُ ظَبيٌ غَريرٌ

وإِذا افتَرَّ قلتُ دُرٌّ سقِيطُ

When he raved, I called it but transient madness

When he erred, said only a pearl had slipped.