تُكاشِرُني كُرهاً كَأَنَّكَ ناصِحٌ

وَعَينُكَ تُبدي أَنَّ صَدرَكَ لي دَوي

You show me feigned affection like a counselor,

yet your eyes reveal your heart bears malice towards me.

لِسانُكَ لي أَريٌ وَغَيبُكَ عَلقَمٌ

وَشَرُّكَ مَبسوطٌ وَخَيرُكَ مُلتَوي

Your tongue flatters me while your absence backbites me,

your harm manifest while your good obscured.

تُفاوِضُ مَن أَطوي طَوى الكَشحِ دونَهُ

وَمَن دونِ مَن صافَيتُهُ أَنتَ مُنطَوَي

You negotiate with those I avoid, shunning them,

while shunning those whose good faith in me is manifest.

تُصافِحُ مَن لاقَيتَ لي ذا عَداوَةٍ

صِفاحاً وَعَنّي بَينُ عَينِكَ مُنزَوَي

You befriend those hostile towards me,

making a show of amity while spurning me behind your eyes.

أَراكَ إِذا اِستَغنَيتَ عَنّا هَجَرتَنا

وَأَنتَ إِلَينا عِندَ فَقرِكَ مُنضَوي

I see when independent of us you shun us,

yet cling to us when destitute.

إِلَيكَ اِنعَوَى نُصحِي وَمالي كِلاهُما

وَلَستَ إِلى نُصحي وَمالي بِمُنعَوَي

To you have I made plain my counsel and wealth alike,

yet neither my counsel nor wealth you would embrace.

أَراكَ إِذا لَم أَهوَ أَمراً هَويتَهُ

وَلَستَ لِما أَهوى مِنَ الأَمرِ بِالهَوي

I see whatever I desire you too desire,

yet what I want, you do not want.

أَراكَ اِجتَوَيتَ الخَيرَ مِنّي وَأَجتَوي

أَذاكَ فَكُلٌّ مُجتَوٍ قُربَ مُجتَوَي

From me you take bounty, while I take the like from you -

does each thus take from those who take from him?

فَلَيتَ كَفافاً كانَ خَيرُكَ كُلّهُ

وَشَرُّكَ عَنّي ما اِرتَوى الماءَ مُرتَوي

Would that your good were but enough,

and that your evil from me receded like sated water.

لَعَلَّكَ أَن تَنأى بِأَرضِكَ نِيَّةً

وَإِلّا فَإِنّي غَيرَ أَرضِكَ مُنتَوَي

Perhaps you intend with your land to keep your distance,

else I shall settle far from your land.

تَبَدَّلْ خَليلاً بي كَشَكلِكَ شَكلُهُ

فَإِنّي خَليلاً صالِحاً بِكَ مُقتَوَي

Take a friend whose shape is like your shape,

for I desire a righteous friend, not one like you.

فَلَم يُغوِني رَبّي فَكَيفَ اِصطِحابُنا

وَرَأسُكَ في الأَغوى مِنَ الغَيِّ مُنغَوي

My Lord did not lead me astray - how then could we walk together,

when your head strays into misleading ways?

عَدُوُّكَ يَخشى صَولَتي إِن لَقيتُهُ

وَأَنتَ عَدُوِّي لَيسَ ذاكَ بِمُستَوي

Your enemy fears my assault should he meet me,

while you, my enemy, do not fear the like.

وَكَم مَوطِنٍ لَولايَ طِحتَ كَما هَوى

بِأَجرامِهِ مِن قُلَّةِ النِيقِ مُنهِوي

How many dwellings but for my aid would have crumbled,

collapsing from feebleness into oblivion?

نَداكَ عَنِ المَولى وَنَصرُكَ عاتِمٌ

وَأَنتَ لَهُ بِالظُلمِ وَالغِمرِ مُختَوَي

You called against the Lord and your aid is dark,

while you in injustice and deceit are steeped towards Him.

تَوَدُّ لَهُ لَو نالَهُ نابُ حَيَّةٍ

رَبيبِ صَفاةٍ بَينَ لِهبَينِ مُنحَوَي

You wish that the fangs of a serpent would strike Him,

a serpent hissing between flickering flames.

إِذا ما بَنى المَجدَ اِبنُ عَمِّكَ لَم تُعِن

وَقُلتَ أَلا بَل لَيتَ بُنيانَهُ خَوِي

When the son of your uncle builds glory you do not assist,

saying "No! Would that his building turn to ruin!"

كَأَنَّكَ إِن قيلَ اِبنُ عَمِّكَ غانِمٌ

شَجٍ أَو عَميدٌ أَو أَخو مَغلَةٍ لَوي

You are filled with rage against me, and so

that rage persists until you all but perish from it.

تَملَّأتَ مِن غَيظٍ عَلَيَّ فَلَم يَزَل

بِكَ الغَيظُ حَتّى كِدتَ في الغَيظِ تَنشَوي

An envious soul whose envy eats away at you

does not cease until it is said "Are you possessed?"

فَما بَرِحَت نَفسٌ حَسودٌ حُشيتَها

تُذيبُكَ حَتّى قيلَ هَل أَنتَ مُكتَوَي

The genealogists said "He is a fabricator of lineage,

no! Rather, he is consumed by envy."

وَقالَ النِطاسِيّونَ إِنَّكَ مُشعَرٌ

سُلالاً أَلا بَل أَنتَ مِن حَسَدٍ جَوَي

I ransom a man who did not break his covenant of estrangement,

while your estrangement began with the call to break ties.

فَدَيتَ اِمرِءاً لَم يَدوَ لِلنَأيِ عَهدَهُ

وَعَهدُكَ مِن قَبلِ التَنائي هُوَ الدَوي

You gathered grossness, backbiting, and gossip -

three shameful traits you do not refrain from.

جَمَعتَ وَفُحشاً غَيبَةً وَنَميمَةً

خِلالاً ثَلاثاً لَستَ عَنها بِمُرعَوي

Grossness, wickedness, and dishonor at the cost of repute,

as though you were a deadly viper fled from its lair.

أَفُحشاً وَخِبّاً وَاِختِناءً عَلى النَدى

كَأَنَّكَ أَفعى كَدِيَّةٍ فَرَّ مُحجَوي

So the slanderer casts you into every evil,

oh what an evil one to be so cast by the rash!

فَيَدحو بِكَ الداحي إِلى كُلِّ سوءَةٍ

فَيا شَرَّ مَن يَدحو بِأَطيَشِ مُدحَوي

Do you amass by begging what is your brothers',

while hoarding wealth beyond what your brothers possess?

أَتَجمَعُ تَسآلَ الأَخِلّاءَ مالَهُم

وَمالَكَ مِن دونِ الأَخِلّاءِ تَحتَوي

Deceit long concealed by you is manifest,

as a mother concealed her son's affliction.

بَدا مِنكَ غِشٌ طالَما قَد كَتَمتَهُ

كَما كَتَمَتْ داءَ اِبنِها أَمُ مُدَّوي

So the critic runs you down into every disgrace.

Oh worst of those run down by the thoughtless fool!