أَعُتبَةُ إِن تَطاوَلَتِ اللَيالي

عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّ شِعري سَمُّ ساعَه

A'tubah, though nights have been long upon you

My poetry remains potent when recited

وَما وَفَدَ المَشيبُ عَلَيكَ إِلّا

بِأَخلاقِ الدَناءَةِ وَالوَضاعَه

And old age came upon you only

With the traits of meanness and indecency

فَأَشهَدُ ما جَسَرتَ عَلَيَّ إِلّا

وَزَيدُ الخَيلِ عَبدُكَ في الشَجاعَه

So I bear witness you dared against me only

While Zaid, your servant, excelled in bravery

وَوَجهُكَ إِذ قَنِعتَ بِهِ نَديماً

فَأَنتَ نَسيجُ وَحدِكَ في القَناعَه

And your face, which you deemed sufficient as companion

You are its sole weaver, in contentment

فَلَو بُدِّلتُهُ وَجهاً إِذَن لَم

أُصَلِّ بِهِ نَهاراً في جَماعَه

If I were to change it for another face

I would not pray with it in congregation

وَلَكِن قَد رُزِقتَ بِهِ سِلاحاً

لَوِ اِستَعصَيتَ ما أَدَّيتَ طاعَه

But you were granted it as a weapon

With which, if you rebelled, you would not obey

مَناسِبُ كَلبَ قَد قُسِمَت فَدَعها

فَلَيسَت مِثلَ نِسبَتِكَ المُشاعَه

The pedigree of dogs has been distributed, so leave it be

It is not like your common lineage

وَرَوِّح مِنكَبَيكَ فَقَد أُعيدا

حُطاماً مِن زِحامِكَ في قُضاعَه

And rest your shoulders, for they have been returned

As wreckage from your bustling in wastelands

وَلا يَغرُركَ أَوغادٌ تَعاوَوا

لِنَصرِكَ بِالحُلاقِ وَبِالرَقاعَه

And let not the rogues delude you, whobanded together

To support you with shaving and tattered robes

رَأَوني حَيثُ كُنتُ لَهُم عَدُوّاً

وَأَنتَ لَهُم شَريكٌ في الصِناعَه

They saw me as their enemy wherever I was

While you were their partner in the profession