أَسيفَ الدّين قد حمّلتَ ظهري

عوارفَ لا أُطيق لها اِحتمالا

Religion's sword, upon my back

You've loaded unbearable moralities,

ثقائلَ لو حُملنَ على شَرَوْرى

لزال بها شَرَوْرى أوْ لمَالا

Had they been placed on a wicked man,

He would have bent or broken from them.

هززتُك صارماً لم ينبُ عنّي

لأمرٍ ما اِرتضيتُ له الرّجالا

I shook you harshly, though no man would,

For something I did not want for men.

فَكنتَ إليَّ أَسرعَ من غمَامٍ

تبجّسَ أو مسيلَ الشِّعْبِ سالا

Yet you came to me swifter than clouds

That thunder or a torrent that floods.

ولمّا أنْ سألتُك في مهمٍّ

وجدتُك قد سقبتَ به السُّؤالا

When I asked you about an important thing,

I found you had preceded my question.

ومهما كنتَ لِي درعاً حصيناً

فما أخشى المثقّفَةَ الطِّوالا

However much you're my fortress,

I do not fear the drawn out swords.

وإمّا كنتَ لِي جبلاً منيعاً

فلم ينل العِدا مِنّي مَنالا

Or you're my unassailable mountain,

No enemies could ever ascend you.

وإنّك من أُناسٍ إنْ أغذُّوا

بطُرْقِ الفضل لم يجدوا الكَلالا

You're of those people, if enriched

With virtues, would never know tiredness.

فإنْ تقصُرْ فإنْ لها وشيكاً

كما تهواه أمثالا طوالا

If you fall short, soon enough,

As you wish, examples will abound.

وَلمّا حزتُمُ أملِي أَمرتمْ

لساني أنْ يقول لكمْ فقالا

When you've saddened my hopes, you've ordered

My tongue to say these words to you.

وَمَن لم يدّخر عنِّي فعالا

كريما كيف أذخُرُه المقالا

He who has not stored a generous deed,

How could I store mere words for him?