بدا الشَّعرُ في وجهه فانتقمْ

لعشّاقه منه لمّا ظلمْ

Poetry began to show on his face, so it took revenge

On his lovers when he was unjust to them

وما سلَّط اللَهُ نبتَ اللِّحى

على المُرد إلا زوال النِّعمْ

And God did not let the beard grow

On the impudent one except as bounties decline

توحَّشت العينُ في وجهه

وحقّ لها وحشة في الظُّلمْ

The eye has become wild in his face

And it rightly wild in oppression

ولم يعلُ في وجهه كالدُّخا

نِ إلا وأسفلُه كالحممْ

And nothing showed on his face like soot

Except its lower part like burning embers

اذا اسودَّ فاضلُ قرطاسه

فما ظنه بمجاري القلمْ

When the surplus of his paper turns black

What then is his opinion of the pathways of the pen