وطائفٍ باستِهِ على طبقٍ

يبغي لها حَرْبةً تُطاولُها

With his retinue mounted on a platter

Seeking to attain an elevation equaling it

مُعاملٍ كلَّ عُصبةٍ سفلتْ

ولا ترى عِلْيةً يُعاملُها

Treating every faction basely

You see no supreme one treating it

قلْنا له لمْ هواكَ في سفلِ ال

ناس وشرُّ الأمورِ سافلُها

We said why is it you fancy the dregs of

Mankind, and the worst of affairs are its dregs

أفِرْقَةٌ وافقتْك طاعتُها

أمْ عُصبةٌ فُضّلتْ غراملُها

Is it a band concurring in obeying you

Or a faction distinguishing its rascals

قال وجدْتُ الكعوبَ من قصبٍ

مختارُها شدةً أسافلُها

He said I found the reed's knots from reed

Its elect being the harshest of its low parts

واسْتُ الفتى سِفْلة فغايتُها

ووكدُها سِفلة يُشاكلُها

And I am in character a young man of the dregs so my aspiration

And my misery equals the meanness of them