بلغ البُغاة عليَّ حيث أرادوا
واللَّهُ كائدُهم بما قد كادوا
The slanderers have achieved their aim against me as they desired
Yet God schemes against their scheming as they have schemed
وهو الشهيد عليَّ أني لم أقلْ
بعض الذي قد أبدأوا وأعادوا
He is witness that I did not say
Some of what they have initiated and repeated
وَهَبِ السُّعاةَ أتوْا بحقٍّ واضحٍ
أين الكرامُ أَبُدِّلُوا أم بادوا
Send the messengers and bring clear proof
Where are the generous ones? Have they changed or perished?
أين الذي قد عَوَّدُوا من عفوهم
عن من يَزِلُّ حلومُهُمْ واعتادوا
Where are those whom they were accustomed to pardoning
Those whose flesh slipped but then became accustomed?
عَفْوُ الملوك عن الهُجاةِ مدائح
مدحوا نفوسَهُمُ بها فأجادوا
The kings' pardoning of offenders is praiseworthy poetry
They praised their souls with it and excelled
مدحوا نفوسهُم بحلمٍ راجحٍ
لولا عوائدُ مثلِه ما سادوا
They praised their souls with triumphant clemency
Without habits like it they would not have ruled
ولقد أبوا إلا العقابَ فقادَهُمْ
نحو التَّطوُّلِ خِيمُهم فانقادوا
And they refused anything but punishment, so it led them
Toward arrogance, their tent pegs slid and followed
وهبوا لجانيها الذنوبَ وأقسموا
أن لو يعود إلى الذنوب لعادوا
They overlooked his sins and swore
That if he returns to sin, they will repeat
ولما رَضُوا بالعفو عن ذي زَلَّةٍ
حتى أنالوا كَفَّهُ وأفادوا
Since they approved of pardoning a slip
Until they restrained his hand and benefited
منُّوا عليه وشَيَّدوا من ذكره
وبمثلها رفعوا البيوتَ وشادوا
They favoured him and exalted his mention
With the like they raised buildings and supported them
ولئن هم منُّوا عليه لقد شَفَوْا
منه النفوس بمنِّهم وأقادوا
If they favoured him, they certainly healed
The souls with their favour and guided
قطعوا لسان سَفاهِهِ فاستوثقوا
منه وأما عن أذاه فحادوا
They silenced the tongue of his foolishness, so they secured
Themselves from his harm, and deviated from it
فإذا همُ قد عاقبوه وقد عفوا
عنه لقد فعلوا الجميل وزادوا
So they punished him, and pardoned him
They did a good thing and exceeded
