إنْ كنتَ يا عمرو قد أسأتَ فقد

رأيت فيك العدوَّ محتكما

If you, o Amr, have done wrong, then I have

Seen in you an enemy driven to refuge

في ساعةٍ لو رآك في يده

أقسى عدوٍّ لرقّ أو رحما

In an hour, had he seen you in his hand,

The cruelest foe would have shown mercy or compassion

قُتِلتَ بالذُّلِّ والمهانةِ وال

قتلُ مريحٌ إذا أسال دما

You were killed with humiliation and wrong, not

A merciful killing when blood flows

فإن تعشْ برهةً فأنت بما

رُمِيتَ مَيْتٌ لم تسكن الرَّجَما

If you live awhile, you are with what

You were pelted, a dead man who finds no rest

وإنْ تكن ناجياً من الموتِ فال

موتُ مُنى مَن يعالجُ السَّقما

And if you survive death, then no

Death is the wish of one who suffers illness

لم تنجُ منه كما علمتَ ومَنْ

سلّمه الإتّفاقُ ما سلما

You will not escape it as you know, and one who

Chance delivers is not delivered

شُلَّتْ يدا من رمى فلم تُصمك الر

رَميةُ لمّا لم يدر كيف رمى

The hands of one who shot were paralyzed, so the

Shot did not strike you as he did not know how to shoot

إنّ الأُلى في صدورهمْ حَنَقٌ

لم تعفُ آثارُهُ ولا اِنصرما

In their breasts is festering hatred

Whose wounds will not heal or be stitched

همّوا ولم يفعلوا لعائقةٍ

وفاعلٌ للأمور مَن عزما

They plotted but did not act due to an obstacle

And the doer of deeds is one who is resolute

ألَمَّ سوءٌ وما أتمَّ وكمْ

أنشبَ أظفارَه وما عدما

It was painful harm though incomplete, and how

Its claws sank in and did not diminish

فاِخشَ لها عودةً فجارمُها

صَبٌّ بها ليس يعرف النّدما

So fear its return, for its pouring rain

Is blindness that does not know regret

إنّ الّذي أنت غُنْمُ بُغْيتِهِ

ما ظَفِرتْ كفُّهُ وما غنما

Indeed, the one whom you are prey for his tyranny

His palm has not triumphed or gained spoils

وَقد قَضى اللَّهُ أن يزيل لنا

نعمةَ من ليس يشكر النِّعما

And God has decreed that He remove from us

The blessing of one who does not thank blessings

ما شكّ قومٌ قُذِفتَ وسْطَهُمُ

أنّ جنوناً بالدّهر أو لمَمَا

No people you were cast among doubted

That madness in time or blemish struck you

أخَفْتَنِي ثمّ ما أمنتَ فلا

يأمن منّا من خاب أو نَدِما

You frightened me, then did not feel safe, so no

One who fails or regrets feels safe from me

فقل لقومٍ غُرّوا بفتنتِه

إِنّ أديماً دبغتُمُ حَلُما

So say to a people who were roused by his chaos

That I tanned a hide, patience

ظننتُمُ أنّه ينير لكمْ

فَزادكم فَوق ظُلمةٍ ظُلَما

You thought it would illuminate for you

But it increased darkness upon darkness for you

وَإِنْ أبَيْتُمْ إلّا عِبادَتَه

فقد رأينا من يعبد الصَّنمَا

And if you insist on worshipping it

Then we have seen those who worship idols

وقلتُمُ إنّه أخو كرمٍ

وَما رَأينا فيكم لَه كَرما

And you said he is a brother of generosity

But we did not see in you any generosity for him

وقال قومٌ أعطى فقلتُ لكمْ

إِنْ كانَ أَعطى فطالما حرما

And some said he gave, so I said to you

If he gave, long has he deprived

قد ثلم الدّهرُ ما بناهُ لكُمْ

وتاب ممّا جناه واِجترما

Time has ruined what it built for you

And turned from what it gathered and stole

فلا تروموا مثلَ الّذي

كان فذاك الشّبابُ قد خُرِما

So do not seek the like of one

Who was, for youth has picked and left

بالجِدِّ نلتُ الّذي بلغتُ ولم

تعملْ إليه كفّاً ولا قدما

With effort I attained what I attained, and hands

And feet did not work toward it

ولا أساسٌ لما بنيتَ فما

نُنكر منهُ أَن زال واِنهدما

And no foundation for what you built, so we do not

Reject its fading and collapse

فَقد سَئِمناك والمدى كَثِبٌ

ومن ثَوَى الرّيفَ جانَبَ السَّأَما

For we are tired of you, and the road is rugged

And whoever dwells in the countryside turns away in boredom

وإنْ تُصَبْ بالرّدى فليس ترى

دمعاً لعينٍ عليك مُنسَجِما

And if you are struck by abasement, you will not see

A tear from an eye shedding for you

وَإِنْ تَغبْ فالّذي به غُصَصٌ

منك بواقٍ يقول لا قَدِما

And if you are absent, one in anguish from you

Says no foot has stepped

فَلا سَقى اللَّهُ وادياً حلّه الس

سوءاتُ لمّا حللتَه الدِّيَما

So may God not water a valley made muddy by the

Evils you made muddy with shame

ولا هَناك الّذي أتاك ولا

أمنتَ فيما جنيتَه النِّقَما

Neither will He be there as He was, nor

Did you feel safe in what you reaped of blame

وَماءُ قومٍ حلَلتَ بينهُمُ

لا كان عَذْباً لهمْ ولا شَبما

And the water of a people you muddied among them

Was neither fresh for them nor brackish

فلا يَرُعني منك الوعيد فما

زلتُ أُولِّيهِ مِنّيَ الصَّمَما

So threats do not alarm me, for I have not

Ceased to turn a deaf ear to them

ومَن ترى أنّني أهاب أذىً

فمبصرٌ في منامه حُلُما

And whoever sees I fear harm

Is one dreaming dreams

سَلْ عَن صُخوري مَن كان يقرعها

وَعن قناتي اِمرءاً لها عَجَما

Ask the rocks I used to strike

And the warrior I used to confront

فلم أكنْ شحمةً لمُزْدَرِدٍ

كلّا ولا مضغةً لمن ضغما

For I was no fat for the chewing of the scorner

No, nor a morsel for the one who chews

قد كنتُ سيلاً وكنتمُ وَهَداً

وكنتُ ناراً وكنتمُ فحما

I was a flood and you were debris

And I was fire and you were embers

للَّه قَومٌ رأيتُ قبلك فو

ق العرش من هذه البِنا جُثُما

By God, I saw a people before you hovering

Above the Throne, courage their mark

كانوا بسِلمٍ إنْ سادَ في حومة ال

حربِ أسودٌ إِفراسةً حَطما

They were on a path, if amidst the fray of battle

A vicious lion dominated, they would break him

لم يك فيهمْ ولا لهمْ أحدٌ

خالٍ بسوءِ الفِعالِ متَّهما

Among them was no one, and none had

Anyone free of blame for vile deeds

من كلِّ قَرْمٍ يشفي إذا شهد ال

حومةَ بالبِيض والقنا القَرَما

All were cavaliers who when battle raged

Drew white swords and reddened spears

يرهب في عرضة الملام ولا

يرهب يوماً في جسمه الألما

They did not in war shed blood except of

Bodies and skulls

كأنّني بالخيول ثائرةً

مُعجَلَةً أنْ تَقَلَّدَ اللُّجُما

So if hints deserted me, then suggestion

Is like clear statement if understood

مثلُ الدَّبا إذْ يقول مبصرها

شلَّ اليمانون بالقنا النَّعَما

Sometimes the tongue volunteers and I do not

Restrain a tongue from speaking and mouth

وفوقهنّ الكماةُ حاملةٌ

سُمْراً طِوالاً وبُتَّراً خُذُما

For often men did not fear swords

Or words and cautious speech

لم ينثروا بالسّيوفِ مصلتةً

في الحربِ إلّا الأجسادَ والقِمما

Take this, and after it its like,

For I am not to truth with you discreet

فلا غَبَت منِّيَ المعارِضُ فالت

تعْريض مثلُ التّصريحِ إنْ فُهِما

So the most ignorant of all people is a man

With reckless tongue or roused pen

وربّما ساعد اللّسان فلمْ

أحبسْ لساناً عن نطقه وفما

فطالما لم يخفْ رجالٌ من ال

أَسْيافِ كَلْماً وحاذروا الكَلِما

خذها ومن بعدها نظائرها

فلستُ للصّدق فيك مُحتشما

فأغبنُ النّاسِ كلِّهمْ رجلٌ

هاج لساناً أو نَبَّهَ القَلما