جَنَحَ المِلحِيُّ للسِّل

مِ ووافى يَستَقيلُ

The swordsman turned to peace

And bid the swords farewell

بعد أن جلَّلَهُ خَطْ

بٌ من الشِّعْرِ جَليلُ

After poetry had crowned him

With glory sublime and well

غُرَرٌ يَنتَسِبُ الصُّبْ

حُ إليها والحُجُول

Charms which dawn claims as its own

And the shy gazelles as well

نُقِشَتْ نَقْشَ الدَّناني

رِ فمرآها جَميلُ

Carved with perfect artistry

A sight most fair and swell

ولَها عند ذَوي الأَف

هامِ بِشْرٌ وقَبُولُ

To those of intellect esteemed

Welcomed for their fine spell

هي داءٌ في شَراسي

فِكَ ثاوٍ وغَليلُ

A malady in haughty souls

Like venom fierce and fell

وسيوفٌ لكَ مِنْها

حينَ تَهتَزُّ نُكولُ

Swords for you whenever brandished

In wrath are drawn pell-mell

قُلْتُ للشِّعْرِ أَقِلْهُ

إنه شَيْخٌ جَهولُ

I said to poetry, leave him be

He's but an ignorant old bell

قال لي ليسَ إلى ما

رامَه الدَّهرَ سَبيلُ

It said, there is no changing what

Fate for him does foretell

قد وَهَى سِتْرٌ رَقيقٌ

وقضى وِدٌّ عَليلُ

A flimsy veil now worn away

A tender love lapsed and fell

قَصُرَتْ أيامُنا البِي

ضُ وفي يَوْمِكَ طُولُ

Our days are few, fading white

While yours are long and swell

دَعوَةٌ يَنتَسِبُ القَحْ

طُ إليها والمُحولُ

A claim that rabble and rogues

And rascals know full well

ليسَ إلا العَطَشُ القا

تِلُ والماءُ الثَّقيلُ

Naught but killing thirst remains

And water heavy as hell

مَجْلِسٌ فيه لأربا

بِ الخَنا قالٌ وقِيلُ

A gathering where the cunning and

Deceitful prate and yell

وضِراطٌ مثل ما انْشَقْ

قَ الدَّليقيُّ الصَّقيلُ

And blades like what once pierced

The polished knight Al-Daliq well

وإذا اختالَ خلالَ الشْ

شَرْبِ عَذْراءٌ شَمولُ

When the drinking gets too wild

A maiden approaches, her scarf aswell

لَعِبَتْ أيدٍ لها أَقْ

فِيَةُ القَوْمِ طُبولُ

Hands play tambourines, driving

The people's fancies to swell

لستُ من شَكلِكَ والنا

سُ ضُروبٌ وشُكولُ

I'm not of your ilk, and people

Are of various mold and shell

أنتَ للحاكَةِ حتَّى

يُصْدِرَ الوِرْدَ خَليلُ

You're suited for weaving, spinning

Silk till Warith loves the loom well

فاقطَعِ الرُّسْلَ فقد أَز

رى بنا منك الرَّسولُ

So break with messengers, for we

Have had enough, your tales to tell