أرىَ الشهدَ يَجنيه لي الذلُّ علقمَا

وعلقَمُ سُبلِ العِزِّ عندِي هوَ الشهدُ

I see the honey that humiliation gathers for me,

While for me the path of glory is bitterness.

وإِني لترَّكٌ لِما قَد يشِينُني

وإني لَفعَّالٌ لِما فِعلُه مَجدُ

I do leave what would disgrace me,

And I do what brings me glory.

وإني مِن القَوم الغَطَارِفَةِ الألَى

مَكارِمُهم مِن دونِ إحصَائِها العَدُّ

I am of a people whose nobility

Is beyond counting.

أقولُ لأهلِ الغَدرِ إذ غَدَروا بِنا

وكُنَّا وكانوا والأخوَّةُ والوُدُّ

I say to those who betrayed us

When there was brotherhood and love between us:

وعَابوا علَى مَا قد فعلتُهُ إذ بَدا

لَهم غيرَ ما كانوا يَظنونه يَبدُو

You blamed me for what I have done

When something different from what you expected appeared.

غَرتُم أخَاكُم فاستضَاع عُهودَه

وعَهدِي به أن لاَ يضيعَ لَه عهدُ

You betrayed your brother so his pacts were diminished,

Yet my pact with him is that I not diminish any pact.

أمِثلي وسِلكُ الشَّيبِ ضَاء بِعَارِضِي

وما تَمَّ غيرُ النائباتِ لَه وقدُ

Does my example and the graying of my temples

Accomplish anything but misfortune?

وإلا فما لابنِ الثلاثِين حِقبَةً

وأفراسُ شِيبٍ في دُجى شَعره تَعدُو

One in his thirties has no right

To horses of gray hair galloping in the darkness of his hair.

يُجَاهِرُه صِرفَ الوِداد لِسانُكم

وباطِنُكم يَغلِي به البُغضُ والحِقدُ

Your tongues profess affection openly,

Yet inwardly you seethe with hatred and malice.