هَزَزتُكَ هِزَّةَ السَيفِ المُحَلّى

فَلَمّا أَن ضَرَبتُ بِكَ اِنثَنَيتُ

I brandished you like a gilded sword,

but when I struck with you, you bent.

مَدَحتُكَ مِدحَةَ الطَرفِ المُجَلّي

لِتَجرِيَ في الكَرامِ كَما جَرَيتُ

I praised you with the praise of a coy glance,

so you would flow in honor as I did.

فَهَبها مِدحَةً ذَهَبَت ضَياعاً

كَذِبتُ عَلَيكَ فيها وَاِفتَرَيتُ

But that praise went to waste,

for I lied about you and fabricated.

فَأَنتَ المَرءُ لَيسَ لَهُ وَفاءٌ

كَأَنّي إِذ مَدَحتُكَ قَد زَنَيتُ

You are not a man of loyalty.

It was as if, when I praised you, I had sinned.