هَزَزتُكَ هِزَّةَ السَيفِ المُحَلّى

فَلَمّا أَن ضَرَبتُ بِكَ اِنثَنَيتُ

I shook you like the drawing of a glittering sword,

Yet when I struck with you, you bent.

مَدَحتُكَ مِدحَةَ الطِرفَ المُجَلّي

لِتَجري في الكِرامِ كَما جَرَيتُ

I praised you with the praise of a tempting glance,

That you may flow in generosity as I flowed.

فَهَبها مِدحَةً ذَهَبَت ضِياعاً

كَذَبتُ عَلَيكَ فيها وَاِفتَرَيتُ

But oh, that praise went astray to no purpose,

I lied about you in it and fabricated.

فَأَنتَ المَرءُ لَيسَ لَهُ وَفاءٌ

كَأَنّي إِذ مَدَحتُكَ قَد زَنَيتُ

For you are not a man who is faithful,

As though when I praised you, I had committed adultery.