أيُّ المَكَارِمِ وَالعُلَى لَم أُحرِزِ

أَم أَيُّ وَعد فَضِيلَةٍ لَم أُنجِزِ

What virtues and nobility have I not attained?

Or what virtuous promise have I not fulfilled?

وَلِيَ المَفَاخِرُ قَضُّها بِقَضِيضِهَا

أُعزَى إِلَيهَا أَو لِمَجدِي تَعتَزِي

Triumphs are mine to command with certainty

Whether consoled by them or my glory made proud

نَامَ الأَنَامُ عَن العَلاءِ وَلَيتَنِي

أَحرَزتُ مِنهَا مِلء رَغبةِ مُحرِزِ

People sleep, heedless of excellence, if only I

Had attained of it a desire's fill

هَل فِي البَريَّةِ مِنكِرٌ لفَضَائِلي

أَو طَاعِنٌ فِي مَجدِيَ المُتَعزِّزِ

Is there in the wilderness one who denies my merits

Or criticizes my entrenched glorious fame?

أعشَيتُ سَبَّاقَ البَيَانِ وَرُبَّمَا

أعطَيتُ رَاحَتَهُ عِنَانَ مُبَرِّزِ

I have surpassed the eloquent in eloquence and sometimes

Given respite to the excellent to shine bright

يَمضِي فَيُعشِي لِلبُرَاقِ غُبَارهُ

وَعجَاجُه وَلَعَلّهُ لَم يحفزِ

He goes forth and spends the night outstripping the lightning

His neighing and perhaps he was not spurred

قُدتُ القَوَافِيَ شُرَّداً أَو ذُلَّلا

تَنحَطُّ لِي وَلِمَن عَدَانِيَ تَنتَزِي

I have led rhymes in disorder or humbled

They cringe to me and to those hostile, haughty

فأنَا إِذَا أَطنَبتُ أَبرَعُ مُطنِبٍ

وَإِذَا أَنَا أَوجَزتُ أَبلَغُ مُوجِزِ

So I, when prolix, am more prolific than the prolix

And I, when concise, am more effective than the concise

وَيَهُبُّ فِكرِي لِلوَلِيِّ بِسَجسَجٍ

وَيَهُبُّ فِكرِي لِلعَدُوِّ بِهَزهَزِ

My mind inspires for the patron with inducement

And for the foe my mind stonewalls and rebuffs

وَلَرُبَّمَا فُقتُ الوَرَى بِمُفقّرِي

وَلَرُبَّمَا جُزتُ المَدَى بِمُرَجّزِي

Sometimes I impoverish the land with my gifts as alms

And sometimes I reward the extended arms with bracelets

وَشَدَختُ فِي وَجهِ الزَّمَانِ عَجَائِبِي

وَسَحَبتُ ذَيلَ السَّبقِ غَيرَ مُمَيَّزِ

I flaunt my wonders in the face of time

And drag the train of precedence unparalleled

يَا مَن يُلاحِظني بِطَرفٍ مُنكَرٍ

أَيَكُونُ نُورُ الصُّبحِ غَيرَ مُعَجَّزِ

O you who watch me with a disapproving glance

Can the light of dawn be considered unmiraculous?

يَا حَسرَتِي لِقَصِيدَةٍ أَرسَلتُهَا

نَحوَ الحَكِيمِ بِكُلِّ سِحرٍ مُعجِزِ

Oh my sorrow for a poem I sent

To the sage with every magical miracle

أَرسَلتُهَا مُستَهزِئاً مِن سُخفِه

أَبغِي لَدَيهِ وَعدَ غَيرِ المُنجِزِ

I sent it scorning his foolishness

Seeking from him a promise unlike unfulfilled

أَبغِي مُرَاجَعَةً وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّهَا

لَهو المقيمِ وَضحكَةُ المُستَوفِزِ

I seek an apology and I know it is

The entertainment of the resident and laughter of the provocateur

فَبَدَا عَلَيهِ بِهَا فَخَارُ تَعَزُّز

هَيهَاتَ مِن وَغدٍ فَخَارُ تَعَزُّزِ

Then over him appeared the pride of arrogance

Alas a morrow the pride of arrogance

يَا لائِماً يَحيَى عَلَى تَقصِيرِهِ

هَل تَكتَفِي شَاةٌ بِلَيثٍ مُجهِزِ

O blamer, does the lamb suffice against the deadly lion?

Have you become content, Yahya, with your shortfall?

وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ مِنَ البَيَانِ مُخوَّلاً

فِي حَيثُ أضحَى مِنهُ أَعوَزَ مُعوزِ

So I have become endowed with eloquence where

He has become in it the feeblest weakling

إِيهٍ أَبا بَكر نِدَاءَ تَعَرُّض

جَمِّع مَحاشَكَ يَا مُجَعجِعُ وَابرُزِ

Eh Abu Bakr a provocative call

Ready your weapons, quibbler, and come forth

فَإِذَا رَأَيتَ قُصُورَ بَاعِكِ فِي العُلَى

ألق القِيَادَ لألمَعِيّ هِبرِزِ

And if you see the inadequacy of your seller in the heights

Toss the reins to the brilliant, fiery one

وَاعلَم بِأَنَّ الشِّعرِ لَيسَ حِياكَةً

وَاللَّهذَمَ اللَّمَّاعَ لَيسَ بِمَركَزِ

And know that poetry is not about empty words

And the bragging prater is not composed

يَا هَل يُسَاوِي عَاقِلٌ غَسقَ الدُّجَى

وَعُبَابَهُ الطَّامِي بِنُقطَةِ مَركَزِ

O is the pitch black darkness of night

And its obscuring gloom equal to a pinpoint?