وَمَولىً سَخيفِ الرَأيِ رِخوٍ تَزيدُهُ

أَناتي وَعَفوي جَهلَهُ عِندَهُ ذَمّا

And a foolish, weak-minded master,

Whose ignorance my gentleness increases for him blame,

دَمَلتُ وَلَولا غَيرُهُ لأَصَبتُهُ

بِشَنعاءَ باقٍ عارُها تَقِرُ العَظما

I showed patience, and had it not been for others, I would have struck him

With lasting disgrace, its shame admitting no bones.

وَكانَت عُروقُ السوءِ أَزرَت وَقَصَّرَت

بِهِ أَن يَنالَ الحَمدَ فَالتَمَسَ الذَمّا

But the veins of evil supported him and fell short

That he should gain praise, so he sought blame.

طَوى حَسَداً ضِغناً عَليَّ كَأَنَّما

أدَاوي بِهِ في كُلِّ مَجمَعَةٍ كَلما

He harbored rancorous envy against me as if

I treat him in every gathering with words.

وَيَجهَلُ أَحياناً فَلا يَستَخِفُّني

وَلا أَجهَلُ العُتبى إِذا راجَعَ الحِلما

And he is sometimes ignorant, so let him not take me lightly,

Nor am I ignorant of reproach when reason returns.

يَصُدُّ وَينأَى في الرَخاءِ بِوُدِّهِ

وَيَدنو وَيَدعوني إِذا خَشِيَ الهَضما

He keeps away and distances himself in prosperity with his love,

And he comes near and calls me when he fears injustice.

فَيُفرِجُ عَنهُ إِربَة الخَصمِ مَشهَدي

وَأَدفَعُ عَنهُ عِندَ عَثرَتِهِ الظُلما

So my presence relieves the worry of his opponent,

And I ward off from him his stumbling into injustice.

وَأَمنَعُهُ إِن جَرَّ يَوماً جَريرَةً

وَيُسلِمُني إِن جَرَّ جارِمِيَ الجُرما

And I prevent him if one day he commits a shameful act,

And he surrenders me if my adversaries commit a crime.

وَكُنتُ امرَأً عَودَ الفَعالِ تَهُزُّني

مَآثِرُ مَجدٍ تالِدٍ لَم يَكُن زَعما

And I was a man whom the actions of glorious,

Ancient glory shook, not pretense.

وَكُنتَ وَشَتمي في أرومَةِ مالِكٍ

بِسَبّي بِهِ كَالكَلبِ إِذ يَنبَحُ النَّجما

And you insulted me in the courtyard of Malik

Cursing me like a dog when it barks at a star.

وَتُدعى إِلى زَيدٍ وَما أَنتَ مِنهُمُ

تَحُقُّ أَباً إِلا الوَلاءَ وَلا أُمّا

And you are called to Zeid but you are not one of them,

Deserving a father except in allegiance and no mother.

وَإِنّكَ لَو عَدَّدتَ أَحسابَ مالِكٍ

وَأَيّامَها فيها وَلَم تَنطِقِ الرَّجما

And if you were to count the lineages of Malik

And her days among them and did not cast stones.

أَعادَتكَ عَبداً أَو تَنَقَّلتَ مُكدِياً

تَلَمَّسُ في حَيٍّ سِوى مالِك جِذما

It would return you a slave or you wandered begging

Feeling in a tribe other than Malik, castrated.

وَما أَنا بِالمَخسوسِ في جِذمِ مالِكٍ

وَلا بِالمُسَمّى ثُمَّ يَلتَزِمُ الإِسما

And I am not one inserted into the castration of Malik,

Nor am I one named then adhering to a name.