وَقَالُوا: غَدَا لُطْفِي رَئِيسًا فَحَيِّهِ

وَهَنِّئْهُ وَاهْتِفْ بِاسْمِهِ فِي الْمَحَافِلِ

They said: Tomorrow, Luṭfī will be president, so greet him,

And chant his name in gatherings.

فَقُلْتُ: وَهَلْ يَرْضَى لِيَ الْعَقْلُ أَنَّنِي

إِذَا صُغْتُ مَدْحًا قِيلَ: تَحْصِيلُ حَاصِلِ

I said: Would reason allow that I,

When reciting praise, be told: You're stating the obvious?

فَقَالُوا: رَفِيعٌ زَادَ قَدْرًا وَرِفْعَةً!

فَقُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، لَوْ صَحَّ تَكْمِيلُ كَامِلِ

They said: A noble man has gained prestige and status!

I said: Yes, if perfection of the perfect were possible.

فَقَالُوا: عَلَيْكَ الشِّعْرَ وَيْحَكَ إِنَّهُ

فَسِيحُ الْمَرَامِي لَا يَضِيقُ بِقَائِلِ

They said: You and your poetry! His spirit is lofty,

It doesn't mind what people say.

فَقُلْتُ: وَأَيْنَ الشِّعْرُ؟ أَيْنَ خَيَالُهُ؟

وَأَيْنَ الثُّرَيَّا مِنْ يَدِ الْمُتَنَاوِلِ؟

I said: Where is the poetry? Where is its imagination?

Where are words from the grasp of the conveyor?

فَقَالُوا: فَمَاذَا أَنْتَ فِي الْجَمْعِ صَانِعٌ؟

فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: صُنْعُ الْعَيِيِّ الْمُجَامِلِ

They said: What will you do in this gathering?

I said: The work of the tired conformist.

فَفِي سَكْتَةِ الْمَبْهُورِ أَصْدَقُ مِدْحَةٍ

وَكُلُّ كَلَامٍ بَيْنَ حَقٍّ وَبَاطِلِ

So in the silence of the stunned, true praise,

And every word between truth and falsehood.