قُل لِلخَليفَةِ إِنَّني

حَتّى أَراكَ بِكُلِّ باسِ

Tell the Caliph, I will not

Say to the Caliph that I remain,

See you, though you plead and implore,

Until I see you in all your might:

مَن ذا يَكونُ أَبا نُوا

سِكَ إِذ حَبَستَ أَبا نُواسِ

Who is there to be the father of poetry

Who then shall be your own Abu Nuwas,

When Abu Nuwas lies imprisoned?

Now that you have imprisoned Abu Nuwas?

أَقصَيتَهُ وَنَسيتَهُ

وَلِعَهدِهِ بِكَ غَيرُ ناسِ

You dismissed him, forgetting

You cast him aside and have forgotten him,

His covenant with you and other men.

Though he of his bond with you is not forgetful.

قَد كُنتُ آمَلُ غَيرَ ذا

لَو كُنتَ تُنصِفُ في القِياسِ

I had hoped for other than this -

I had truly hoped for other than this,

Had you been just in your judgment.

Had you but been fair in your judgment.

إِن أَنتَ لَم تَرفَع لَهُ

رَأساً فُديتَ فَنِصفَ راسِ

If you do not raise his head,

If you will not raise a full head for his sake,

I will give my head that his be raised.

Then—may you be ransomed—raise but half a head!