نَسَبتُم إِلى المَقهور ما اِقتَرَف الدَهر

وَأَلزمتُم النُشوان ما قَد جَنى السكر

You blamed the oppressed for what fate wrought

And accused the happy of what drunkenness brought

رَمَيتُم بِسَهم العتب قَلباً مَجرحاً

أَحاطَ بِهِ صَدر غَدا مُلؤُه جَمر

You shot the arrow of reproach at a wounded heart

Whose chest tomorrow will fill with embers

أَلَّما جَفا الدَهر الخَؤُون جَفَوتُم

فَهلا رَفقتم عِندَ ما عَنف الدَهر

When fate was harsh, you too were unkind

Why not be gentle when fate was unrefined?

نَعَم لَكُم العُتبى عَلى كُلِ حالة

لَئِن لَم يَكُن ذَنب لَنا فَلَنا عُذرُ

Yes, you can reproach me no matter my state

If I'm not at fault, I have an excuse

وَفينا وَإِن هُنا عَلَيكُم تَجلدٌ

وَلَكن عَلى الأَعراض لَيسَ لَنا صَبرُ

And though I endure your rebukes with composure

I cannot bear insults upon my honor

أَتاني عِتاب لَم أَسغهُ وَإِن حَلا

وَكُلُ لَذيذ لا مَساغَ لَهُ مُرُّ

I received reproach I could barely swallow

Though all sweetness has bitterness we must follow

وَلَو لَم يَكُن إِجلال قَدرك مَذهَبي

كَما قَد عَرَفتُم قُلت مَعروفَهُ فكر

If preserving your dignity was not my way

I would have said what I knew, as you can say

فَأَخلَصَت سَبك العَتب دَمعاً رَقمتهُ

سُطوراً عَلى خَدي ملخصها سَطرُ

So your bitter reproach brought tears I outlined

As lines on my cheek, summarized in one line

حتوّاً عَلى جان مَحا العَتب صَبرَهُ

فَما ذَنبَهُ عَمد وَما قَلبُهُ صَخر

Containing the patience to forgive your rebuke

Though his guilt was not intentional, his heart not stone

إِلا يَعذر الطَرف الكَريم إِذا كَبا

وَقَد نالَ مِنهُ القَيد وَالسَوط وَالزَجَر

But the noble eye can be excused should it weep

When bounded by chains, whip, and call to order

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَخَرتَ عَنكُم رَسائِلي

وَلا حَدَث عَن نَهج الوَفاءِ وَلي أَمر

By God, I did not neglect to send you missives

Nor deviate from the path of loyalty, as I live

فَدونَكَها بِكراً بَديعاً جَمالَها

تَزف إِلى كَفو مَوَدَتُهُ المُهرُ

I sent you fresh, beautiful pages for your keeping

Carried to your dear friendship as a wedding dowry

تَصَدى لَها حرٌّ جَدير بِصَونِها

فَأَبرَزَها مِن خَدر غَيرَتِهِ الفكرُ

They were met by a free man fit to guard them

Who brought them out from the sanctum of his thoughts