صَرِّد وَنَكِّد وَزَنِّد أَنتَ مَعذورُ

أُسدُ الشَرى لَيسَ تُنميها الخَنازيرُ

Mock, deny, and anger as you will, you are excused

The lion of nobility is not nurtured by swine

هَيهاتَ خَفَّ إِلى الغاياتِ لاحِقُها

سَبقاً وَأَثقَلَكَ الحالومُ وَالصيرُ

Alas! He who raced to the heights was hindered

By the past that burdened and impeded him

إِنّي بِشَتمِ اِمرِئٍ أَكدَت خَليقَتُهُ

وَكانَ بِاللُؤمِ مَشهوراً لَمَعذورُ

In insulting a man I revealed his nature

Though in villainy notorious, he feels wronged

يا خِلقَةً قَد أَمالَ الدَهرُ أَشطُرَها

لَم يَكفِها مِن عِقابِ اللَهِ تَغييرُ

O nature that time has inclined to evil

God's punishment does not deter its change

لَم يُخطِىءِ الرَأيَ غيلانٌ وَشيعَتُهُ

إِن لَم تَكُن أَخطَأَت فيكَ المَقاديرُ

Ghailan and his followers did not err

If your fate did not err against you

أَمِن نَسيمِ الهِجاءِ اِنفَلَّ حَدُّكُمُ

فَكَيفَ لَو قَد عَلَت تِلكَ الأَعاصيرُ

Is it the gentle breeze of blame that softened you

How then if gales of sin blew?

اُنظُر إِلَيهِم كَفانا اللَهُ أَمرَهُمُ

أَيدٍ صُخورٌ وَأَعراضٌ قَواريرُ

Look at them, God spared us their plight

Hands are rocks, consciences are rubble

مَجدٌ تَهَدَّمَ حَتّى صارَ مُحكَمُهُ

نَقضاً تُرَمُّ بِهِ الآطامُ وَالدورُ

Glory lies in ruins, its foundations

Toppled, to rebuild homes and abodes

ساحاتُ سوءٍ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ مَيِّتَةٌ

فيها العُلا حَيَّةٌ فيها الزَنابيرُ

Courtyards of evil, by God's grace, are lifeless

The exalted in them are base, the flies buzzing