وجاهلٍ أعرضتُ عن جهلهِ

حتى شكا كفِّي عنِ الشكوى

An ignorant fool—I turned away from his ignorance,

until he complained that I refrained from complaining of him.

قد هام وجْداً باكْتراثِي له

وقد أبتْ نفسيَ ما يهوى

He had grown deeply enamored of my taking notice of him,

but my soul refused him what he desired.

إنَّ مِنَ السلوى لخيلولةً

تُوهِمني البلوى به بلوى

Indeed, among consolations there is a fantasy

that makes me imagine affliction through him to be affliction.

أحضرتُ نجوى النفسِ تمثالَهُ

مستَحيِياً من شاهِد النجوى

I summoned his likeness to my soul’s private council,

ashamed before the witness to that council.

وقلت للشعر أَلا أَعِدْني

على طويلِ الغَيِّ مُسْتَهوَى

And I said to Poetry, “Will you not aid me

against one long sunk in error, led astray?”

فقال من خاصمتَ مستهلَكٌ

ليست على أمثالهِ عَدْوى

It said, “The one you would contest is already ruined;

against the likes of him there is no recourse.

لو كان لي في مثلهِ موضعٌ

غادرتُهُ أُحدوثةً تُروَى

Had I any opening against one like him,

I would leave him a tale repeatedly told,

بكل بيتٍ سائرٍ عائرٍ

يُسمَعُ والوجهُ لهُ يُزوَى

through every verse that travels and roams,

heard while faces turn away from him.

لكنّ من تُهدي له شتمَهُ

تُهدي إليه المَنَّ والسلوى

Yet whoever you make a gift of abuse to,

you present with manna and quails.

قوَّمتُهُ بالشتمِ يُهدَى لَهُ

فلم أجدْ قيمتَهُ تَسوى

I valued him against the abuse to be bestowed on him,

and found that his worth did not equal it.”