بِأَنفُسِنا لا بِالطَوارِفِ وَالتُلدِ

نَقيكَ الَّذي تُخفي مِنَ الشَكوِ أَو تُبدي

With our own selves, not with vain shows and bragging speech,

We come to you, who from complaint hidest or dost impart.

بِنا مَعشَرَ العُوّادِ ما بِكَ مِن أَذىً

وَإِن أَشفَقوا مِمّا أَقولُ فَبي وَحدي

O company of those who visit me, let me no more

Hear from you griefs about me, though solicitude incite your speech.

ظَلِلنا نَعودُ المَجدَ مِن وَعكِكَ الَّذي

وَجَدتَ وَقُلنا اِعتَلَّ عُضوٌ مِنَ المَجدِ

We lived in glory during your prime, which found

And when we said, "A limb of glory is impaired,"

وَلَم نُنصِفِ اللَيثَ اِقتَسَمنا نَوالَهُ

وَلَم نَقتَسِم حُمّاهُ إِذ أَقبَلَت تَردي

We did not deal justly with the lion when we shared his spoil,

Yet did not share his zeal when daring came.

بَدَت صُفرَةٌ في لَونِهِ إِنَّ حَمدَهُم

مِنَ الدُرِّ ما اِصفَرَّت نَواحيهِ في العِقدِ

A pallor showed upon his face while their praise

Of his teeth was the pure pearl's yellowish white.

وَحَرَّت عَلى الأَيدي مَجَسَّةُ كَفِّهِ

كَذَلِكَ مَوجُ البَحرِ مُلتَهِبُ الوَقدِ

And his soft padded paw was like the fire

That gloweth bright on the litten waves by night.

وَلَستَ تَرى عودَ الأَراكَةِ خائِفاً

سَمومَ الرِياحِ الآخِذاتِ مِنَ الرَندِ

Nor fearest thou to see the tall sapling of the Arak-tree

Blown by the spicy wind that clips it from its root.

وَما الكَلبُ مَحموماً وَإِن طالَ عُمرُهُ

أَلا إِنَّما الحُمّى عَلى الأَسَدِ الوَردِ

No age makes the dog rabid if his life is long:

Nay, but rabid is only the honourable knight.