مَرَرتُ بِهَيثَمَ بنِ عَدِيِّ يَوماً

وَقِدماً كُنتُ أَمنَحُهُ الصَفاءَ

I passed by Haytham ibn 'Adiyy one day

I passed by Haytham ibn Adi one day,

Though in times past I held him in high esteem

And in the past, I used to grant him pure friendship.

فَأَعرَضَ هَيثَمٌ لَمّا رَآني

كَأَنّي قَد هَجَوتُ الأَدعِياءَ

But Haytham turned away when he saw me

But Haytham turned away when he saw me,

As if I had maligned the pretentious

As though I had satirized those of false lineage.

وَقَد آلَيتُ أَن أَهجو دَعِيّاً

وَلَو بَلَغَت مُروءَتُهُ السَماءَ

Yet I had vowed to censure the pretentious

And I have sworn that I will satirize a pretender,

Though his nobility should reach the sky

Even if his virtue reached the sky.