يا عمرو إِنّكَ قد قَشَرْتَ لي العَصَا

برضاكَ في وسط العجاجِ بِرازِي

O Amro, you have indeed stripped my stick

With your consent amid the turbulent throng

يا عمرو إنّكَ قد أشَرْتَ بِظِنّةٍ

إِنّ المبارِزَ كالجُدَيّ النّازِي

O Amro, you have indeed hinted with suspicion

That the jouster is like the prowling hyena

ما للملوكِ وللبِرَازِ وإنّما

حَتْفُ المبارز خَطْفةٌ لبازي

Kings and jousting do not go together

The jouster's fate is to be prey for the lurker

ولقد أعدتَ فقلتُ مَزْحَةُ مَازِحٍ

والمزح يَحْمِلُهُ مَقَالُ الهازي

And you have resolved and said a jester's joke

Yet joking words come from the wily deceiver

فإذا الذي مَنّتْكَ نَفْسُك خالياً

قتلِي جَزَاكَ بِمَا نَويْتَ الجازي

So when your self, which you favored, leaves you bare

May your reward for your intent be death, O treacherous one

فلقد كَشَفْتَ قِنَاعها مَذْمُومَةً

ولقد لبستَ بها ثيابَ الخَازِي

You have indeed uncovered its blemished face

And with it you have worn the garb of the cunning imposter