خَلِيلَيَّ مِنْ علْيَا لُؤيِّ بنِ غَالِبِ

أمَدَّكُمَا ربِّي بأسْنَى المَوَاهِبِ

My two dear friends from the eminent family of Lu’ayy bin Ghalib

My Lord has endowed both of you with the finest gifts

ولا زِلتُمَا خِدْنَي سمُوٍّ ورِفْعَةٍ

تَنِيفُ علَى هَامِ النُّجُومِ الثَّوَاقِبِ

You have always been my intimate friends, lofty and noble

Soaring high above the summit of the piercing stars

ألاّ أبْلِغَا عَنِّي خميسَ بنَ نَاصرٍ

مقالَ امْرئٍ في وِدِّهِ غَيرِ كاذِبِ

Please convey my message to Khamis bin Nasir

The words of a man who is no liar in his affection

لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الأعْدَاءُ عَنِّي بِفرْيةٍ

ولَسْتُ لَهَا ما دُمْتُ حَيّاً بِصَاحِبِ

Indeed my enemies have come to you with vicious lies about me

As long as I live, I shall have none of that

ومَا ذَاكَ إلاّ أنَّني كُنْتُ غَائِباً

وما حَاضِرٌ عِندَ الخُصُومِ كَغَائِبِ

It is only because I was absent

While one who is present is not like one who is absent

ولَو شَاهَدُوني لَمْ يَفيضُوا بِكِلْمةٍ

وللأُسْدِ خَوفٌ في قُلُوبِ الثَّعَالبِ

Had they seen me, they would not have uttered a word

For lions strike fear into the hearts of foxes

فَلاَ تُطِعِ الحُسَّادَ فِيَّ فإنَّمَا

أَتَوكَ بِأقْوَالٍ كَرُمْتَ كَوَاذِب

So do not believe the envious ones about me

They only came to you with words you deemed lies

فَمَا ذَمُّ أوغَادِ الرِّجَالِ بِشِيمَتي

فَكيفَ بأرْبَابِ العُلاَ والمَنَاصِب

How can the slander of ignoble men affect my reputation?

Let alone the masters of supremacy and high office!

إذَا أنَا لَمْ أكْسُ الرِّجَالَ مَدَائِحي

فَلَسْتُ بِكاسِيهمْ كَرُمْتَ مَثَالبي

If I have not lavished the men with praise

I have not disparaged them – I refuse allegations

ألَستَ الذي قَوَّمْت سِكَّةَ دَارِنَا

وقد رُمِيَتْ مِمَّنْ يَقُضُّ بِخَاصِبِ

Are you not the one who set right the course of our house

When it was slandered by those who judge with passion?

فَبَارَتْ فَمَا المَرْزوقُ مِنهَا بِظَافِرٍ

وهَانَتْ فَمَا المحْرُومُ منْهَا بِخائِبِ

Thus those favored by it succeeded

While those deprived of it were denied

فَلَوْ أُلْقِيتْ يَوماً علَى الطُرْقِ لَمْ تَكُنْ

لِتلْحظَ من زُهْدٍ بِمقلَةِ رَاغِبِ

If it were to be cast onto the roads one day

It would not glance with the eye of an aspiring ascetic

فَأكْملتَهَا من بَعْدِ نُقْصَانِ وَزْنِهَا

وسَيَّرْتَهَا في شَرقِها والمَغَارِبِ

You then completed its deficiency in weight

And sent it on its course east and west

وأَنتَ الذي لَولاَ سَمَاحةُ كَفِّهِ

لما مُدَّ في المَعْروفِ رَاحَةُ طَالِبِ

And were it not for the generosity of your palm

The seeker would not find comfort in kindness

فَقَد جَاءَنِي عَنْكَ المُكَرَّمُ جمعةٌ

أخُو الفَضْلِ والإحْسَانِ في زيِّ عَاتِبِ

So the honorable Jum’ah has come to me from you

The brother of excellence and benevolence in the guise of a reproacher

فَهذَا اعْتذارٌ جَاءَ من غَيرِ مُذْنِبٍ

ولَو كَانَ حَقّاً جَاءَ من عندِ تَائِبِ

And even if it were true, it would come from a penitent