يا سَعدُ لَم أَذخَر عَلَيكَ مَوَدَّةً

أَنتَ المُقِرُّ بِها وَأَنتَ الجاحِدُ

O Saad, I did not hoard any affection for you

You who acknowledge it, and you who deny it

أَشكَيتَني فَشَكَوتُ لا مُتَشاكِياً

وَزَعمتَ أَنّي إِذ شَكَوتُكَ حاسِدُ

You blamed me, so I complained - not to lament

And you claimed that since I complained about you, I'm envious

وَلَئِن حُسِدتُ عَلَيكَ إِنَّكَ للَّذي

حُسِدَت عَلَيهِ أَقارِبٌ وَأَباعِدُ

And if I envied you, surely you're the one

Whom relatives and strangers envied

وَزَعَمتَ أَنّي لائِمٌ لَكَ عاتِبٌ

وَقَصائِدي بِالذَمِّ فيكَ شَواهِدُ

And you claimed that I blame and reproach you

While my poems about insulting you are evidence

لَؤُمَت إِذَن مِنّي الخَلائِقُ وَاِغتَدى

بِالحَمدِ مَن هُوَ قائِمٌ بي قاعِدُ

People have thus wronged me, and transgressed

Praising who stands while I sit

إِنّي أَذُمُّكَ يا سَعيدُ وَإِنَّما

بِالمَجدِ مِنكَ إِذا فَخُرتُ أماجِدُ

Indeed I praise you, O Saad, but

My glory comes when I boast and take pride

إِن كانَ قَلبُكَ فِيَّ مُشتَركَ الهَوى

فَالقَلبُ مِنّى فيكَ قَلبٌ واحِدُ

If your heart is inclined the same as mine

Then my heart toward you is one heart

كُن كَيفَ شِئتَ فَإِنَّني بِكَ واثِقٌ

وَلَئِن ذَمَمتُكَ إِنَّني لَكَ حامِدُ

Be however you want, for I'm confident in you

And if I insult you, I will still praise you