أَخطا وَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ غَيرَ جَوابي

وَزَرى عَلَيَّ وَقالَ غَيرَ صَوابِ

He erred and responded to me without an answer,

And blamed me saying what was improper.

وَسَكَنتُ مِن عَجَبٍ لِذاكَ فَزادَني

فيما كَرِهتُ بِظَنِّهِ المُرتابِ

I was astonished at that and it increased

My dislike due to his mistrustful doubt.

وَقَضى عَلَيَّ بِظاهِرٍ مِن كِسوَةٍ

لَم يَدرِ ما اِشتَمَلَت عَلَيهِ ثِيابي

He judged me by the outer appearance of my garment,

Not knowing what was concealed beneath my clothes,

مِن عِفَّةٍ وَتَكَرُّمٍ وَتَحَمُّلٍ

وَتَجَلُّدٍ لِمَصيبَةٍ وَعِقابِ

Of chastity, generosity, patience,

And fortitude in the face of misfortune and punishment.

وَإِذا الزَمانُ جَنى عَلَيَّ وَجَدتَني

عوداً لِبَعضِ صَفائِحِ الأَقتابِ

And when time oppressed me, you found me

As a piece of wood stripped of its bark.

وَلَئِن سَأَلتَ لَيُخبِرَنَّكَ عالِمٌ

أَنّي بِحَيثُ أُحِبُّ مِن آدابِ

If you ask, a scholar will tell you

That I am where I love proper etiquette.

وَإِذا نَبا بي مَنزِلٌ خَلَّيتُهُ

قَفراً مَجالَ ثَعالِبٍ وَذِئابِ

And if an abode brought me notoriety, I abandoned it

Empty, a place for foxes and wolves.

وَأَكونُ مُشتَرَكَ الغِنى مُتَبَذِّلاً

فَإِذا اِفتَقَرتُ قَعَدتُ عَن أَصحابي

And I share wealth being generous,

But when impoverished, I avoid my companions.

لَكِنَّهُ رَجَعَت عَلَيهِ نَدامَةٌ

لَمّا نُسِبتُ وَخافَ مَضَّ عِتابي

Yet he felt regret,

When I was accused and feared the onset of my reprimand.

فَأَقَلتُهُ لَمّا أَقَرَّ بِذَنبِهِ

لَيسَ الكَريمُ عَلى الكَريمِ بِنابِ

So I reproached him mildly when he admitted his sin,

A noble man does not rebuke a noble man.