رَأَيتُ البَحبَحانِيَّ اِستَقَلَّت

رَكائِبُهُ بِحِرمانٍ عَظيمِ

I saw the clown had lost

His means of conveyance through dire deprivation

إِذا رامَ التَخَلُّقَ جاذَبَتهُ

خَلائِقُهُ إِلى الطَبعِ القَديمِ

When he would feign refinement, his

Nature pulled him back toward the old habit

بَكى آمالَهُ لَمّا رَآها

عِياناً وَهيَ دارِسَةُ الرُسومِ

He wept for his hopes when he saw them

Plainly lying fallow

وَتَرتَ القَومَ ثُمَّ ظَنَنتَ فيهِم

ظُنوناً لَستَ فيها بِالحَكيمِ

You blamed the people, then supposed about them

Conjectures in which you were not wise

تُعَربِدُ غَيرَ مُحتَشِمٍ وَتَشدو

فَلا تَأتي بِلَحنٍ مُستَقيمِ

You act indecently without modesty, and you chant

But you make no proper musical measure

فَتُخطِئُ في الغِناءِ عَلى المُغَنّي

وَتُخطِئُ في النِدامِ عَلى النَديمِ

Thus you err singing for the singer

And err consoling the boon companion

نَهَيتُكَ عَن تَعَرُّضِ عِرضِ حُرٍّ

فَإِنَّ الذَمَّ مِن شَأنِ الذَميمِ

I warned you against violating the honor of a freeman

For blame is the habit of the blamer

وَقُلتُ تَوَقَّ مُحتَمِلاً يُرَوّي

عَنِ الأَضغانِ بِالخُلُقِ الكَريمِ

And I said: Be careful and forebearing; quench

Rancor through noble manners

فَما خُرقُ السَفيهِ وَإِن تَعَدّى

بِأَبلَغَ فيكَ مِن حِقدِ الحَليمِ

Yet the breach of the fool, be he aggressive,

Is no subtler toward you than the hatred of the forbearing

مَتى أَحرَجتَ ذا كَرَمٍ تَخَطّى

إِلَيكَ بِبَعضِ أَخلاقِ اللَئيمِ

When you put to shame a noble one who stepped

Toward you with some of the traits of the wretch