تَعجّبتُ أَن أَعلمتَ يا صاحِبَ الحجى

بعيبيَ ذا الفضلِ اللبيبَ أخا المجدِ

I'm amazed you told my flaw, O eloquent friend,

To that virtuous, brilliant one, brother of glory.

فَخِفتُ وَلَم أَسرقْ حاشا لأنَّه

هو البَطلُ الجنديّ ذو المَنطِقِ الشَّهدِي

So I grew afraid though I did not steal, far from it!

For he is the brave soldier of sweet rhetoric.

وَهَب أَنّني ذاكَ الكتابَ اِختَلستُهُ

فَإِنّكَ سَتّارٌ وَلِلعَيبِ لا تُبدي

And suppose I had stolen that book, as you claim,

You are a concealer who does not expose faults.

وَتعلمُ أنّي في الرّعايا حَقيرَهم

ولا عَجبٌ أَنّي أَخافُ مِنَ الجُندي

And you know that among the flock I'm the lowliest,

No wonder I fear the soldier who is so mighty.