مَتى كانَ سَمعي خُلسَةً لِلَّوائِمِ

وَكَيفَ صَغَت لِلعاذِلاتِ عَزائِمي

When did my hearing become secretly receptive to blamers,

And how did my determination incline towards censurers?

إِذا المَرءُ أَبقى بَينَ رَأيَيهِ ثُلمَةً

تُسَدُّ بِتَعنيفٍ فَلَيسَ بِحازِمِ

When a man leaves a gap between his two opinions,

It is blocked by rebuke - he is no resolute one.

سَأوطِئُ أَهلَ العَسكَرِ الآنَ عَسكَراً

مِنَ الذُلِّ مَحّاءً لِتِلكَ المَعالِمِ

I will now tread upon the people of warfare with an army

That will erase those landmarks out of humiliation.

فَإِنّي ما حورِفتُ في طَلَبِ العُلى

وَلَكِنَّكُم حورِفتُمُ في المَكارِمِ

I was not deviant in seeking highness,

But you were deviant in noble deeds.

رُوَيداً يَقِرُّ الأَمرُ في مُستَقَرِّهِ

فَما المَجدُ عَمّا تَفعَلونَ بِنائِمِ

Gently, the matter will settle in its settlement,

So why the glory in what you are doing, oh sleepers?

وَما لِيَ مِن ذَنبٍ إِلى الرِزقِ خِلتُهُ

سِوى أَمَلي إِيّاكُمُ لِلعَظائِمِ

I am not to blame for the lack of provision,

Except for my hope in you for great things.

بِعَينِ العُلى أَصبَحتُمُ بَينَ هادِمٍ

دَعائِمَها الطولى وَبانٍ كَهادِمِ

With aspiration for highness, you have become between a destroyer,

Its highest pillars, and one who is destructive.

لَعَمرُ النَوى لازِلتُ بَعدَ مُحَمَّدٍ

مُسِحّاً عَلَيهِ بِالدُموعِ السَواجِمِ

By the life of piety, I still, after Muhammad,

Stroke it with pouring tears.

فَتىً فَيصَلِيُّ العَزمِ يَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

نَشا رَأيُهُ بَينَ السُيوفِ الصَوارِمِ

A young man - his determination knows

That his opinion sprouted between sharp swords.

إِذا سارَ فيهِ الظَنُّ كانَ بِكُلِّ ما

يُؤَمَّلُ مِن جَدواهُ أَوَّلَ قادِمِ

When suspicion flowed through it, it was with everything

That was hoped for from his violence or the first comer.

أَساءَت يَداهُ عِشرَةَ المالِ بِالنَدى

وَأَحسَنَتا فينا خِلافَةَ حاتِمِ

His hands did wrongly in giving away wealth in hospitality,

And did good by us in succeeding Hatem.