أَلاَ للهِ من هَفَواتِ عمروٍ

يُعاتِبُني عَلَى تركي بِرازِي

Alas for the lost years of my life

That reproach me for abandoning my friend

فَقدْ لاَقَى أبا حَسَن عَلِيّا

فآبَ الوائلّي مَآبَ خازِي

He met Abu Hasan Ali

So al-Wathili retreated like a defeated man

فَلَو لم يُبْدِ عورتَه للاقَى

به ليثاً يُذَلِّلُ كلَّ نازي

Had he not revealed his weakness, he would have met

A lion that humiliates every proud man

له كفّ كأنّ بِراحَتَيْها

منايا القومِ يَخْطِفُ خَطْفَ بازي

He has a palm that seems

To snatch away the lives of people like a hunting falcon

فإنْ تكنِ المنايا أخطأَته

فقد غَنّى بها أَهْلُ الحجاز

If death missed him

The people of Hijaz would still sing his praises