يا عامِلاً مَعروفَهُ مُتَباطي

لِمْ حامَ غَدرُكَ بي عَلى إِسخاطي

O you whose kindness was continuous

Why did your betrayal annoy me?

هَذا وَبِرُّكَ لَيسَ يَظفَرُ ناظِرٌ

مِنهُ بِحُسنٍ لا وَلا بِنَشاطِ

This, while your righteousness does not gain

For the viewer any goodness or liveliness

يا اِبنَ العَبيدِ الرومِ لَيسَ بِمُسلِمٍ

مَن أَسلَمَ الأَشرافَ لِلأَقباطِ

O son of the Roman slaves, not Muslim is

He who subjugated the nobles to the Copts

يا وَيلَ أُمِّكَ لَم جَسَرتَ أَلَم تَكُن

تَخشى عَلى كَتَفَيكَ مِن أَسواطي

Oh woe to your mother! How dare you? Were you not

Afraid for your shoulders from my whips?

أَو لَيتَني ما كُنتُ أَعلى رُتبَةً

مِنهُ وَلَم تَطلُب سِوى إِحطاطي

If only I had not been of higher station

Than him and sought only to debase myself

وَتَرضكتَ شِعري إِذا أَتاكَ مُطَأطَئاً

خَجَلاً وَلَم يَكُ قَطُّ بِالمُتَعاطي

You would have been satisfied with my poetry if it came

To you humble, never with pride

فَعَلامَ لَم تَعرِف لَهُ مِقدارَهُ

لَمّا أَتاكَ مُطَرَّزُ الأَنماطِ

Why then did you not recognize his worth

When he came to you adorned in splendor?

لَو كُنتَ مِن تَنّيسَ عَرَّكَ هَجوُهُ

أَلفا فَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ مِن دِمياطِ

Had he been one who stripped you bare with his lampoon

A thousand fold, then how, you being from Damietta?