وقَدْ أطلتُ ما ترى

مِن هَذيَانٍ وهَذرْ

I have prolonged, as you see,

Ranting and raving,

وقد ذكرتُ قصَصاً

تحارُ فيهنّ الفِكَرْ

And I have recounted tales

That confound thought.

فاصبِرْ لَه ولا تَقُلْ

يا ليتَهُ كانَ اختصَرْ

So be patient with it, and say not

"Would that it were shorter!"

وإن تجدْ عيباً بهِ

فأنتَ أولَى مَنْ سَتَرْ

And if you find fault therein,

You are the one to veil it.

واعذرْ أخي فإِنّني

كتبتُهُ عَلى القَمَرْ

Forgive me, my brother, for

I wrote it on the moon.