قلتُ لمن يسألُ عن أحمدٍ

ما أحمدٌ عندي بمحمودِ

I said to those who ask about Ahmed

Ahmed is not praiseworthy to me

نزْرٌ فلو ماتَ لما كان في

جُثّتِه ما يأكُلُ الدّودُ

He is insignificant, if he were to die

There would be nothing in his corpse for worms to eat

وساقِطُ الهِمّةِ لو أنّهُ

يُصلَبُ ما قام له عُودُ

He is of low ambition, if he were crucified

No stake would stand up for him

ويعشقُ السّؤدُدَ لكنّه

يعجَزُ دالاً فهو السّودُ

He loves excesses, yet he is

Incapable of achieving them, so he is most wretched