عَدَوتُ إِلى المُرِّيِّ عَدوَةَ فاتِكٍ

مِعَنٍّ خَليعٍ لِلعَواذِلِ وَالعُذرِ

I rushed to the impudent man with the pace of a quick runner

A vile, wicked man to the helpless and excused

فَقالَ لِشَيءٍ ما أَرى قُلتُ حاجَةٌ

مُغَلغَلَةٌ بَينَ المُخَنَّقِ وَالنَحرِ

So I said to him, though I saw nothing: “I have a need

Choked between strangulation and the throat”

فَلَمّا لَواني يَستَثيبُ زَجَرتُهُ

وَقُلتُ اِغتَرِف إِنّا كِلانا عَلى بَحرِ

When he saw my colour change, I rebuked him

And said: “Draw water, we both are on an ocean”

أَلَيسَ أَبو إِسحاقَ فيهِ غِنىً لَنا

فَيُجدي عَلى قَيسٍ وَأَجدي عَلى بَكرِ

Does not Abu Is’haq have enough wealth for us

So he benefits Qais and I benefit Bakr

فَغَنّى بِذاتِ الخالِ حَتّى اِستَخَفَّني

وَكادَ أَديمُ الأَرضِ مِن تَحتِنا يَجري

He sang with the marks of beauty until he mocked me

And the ground beneath us nearly flowed