أَمّا البَليغُ فَإِنّي لا أُجادِلُهُ

وَلا العَيِيُّ بَغى لِلحَقِّ إِبطالا

The eloquent man, I do not argue with him

Nor does the tired man seek to invalidate the truth

فَنَحنُ في لَيلِ غِيٍّ لَيسَ مُنكَشِفاً

لَم يَفتَقِد عارِضاً بِالجَهلِ هَطّالا

We are in a dark night that is not illuminated

He did not lack an aspect due to ignorance that prolonged

وَالنَفسُ كَالسَبَبِ المَدودِ تَجمَعُهُ

فَيَستَكِفُّ وَإِن أَرسَلتَهُ طالا

And the self is like a rope that is pulled

So it stiffens even if you let it loose for long

كَذاتِ شَنفٍ أَرادَت بَعدَهُ خِدَماً

وَنَظمَ دُرٍّ وَكانَت قَبلُ مِعطالا

Like the owner of luxury who wanted servants after it

And it wove pearls yet it was idle before

وَقَد شَرِبتَ نُمَيراً فَاِجتَرَأتَ بِهِ

فَلِم حَمَلتَ مِنَ الصَهباءِ أَرطالا

And you drank wine so you dared with it

Why then did you carry so much weight from the blond one

لا خَيلَ مِثلُ قَوافي الشِعرِ جائِلَةً

أَبقى عَلى الدَهرِ أَعناقاً وَآطالا

No horses like the rhymes of poetry roaming

Remaining for ages necks and long

إِن يَنقُلُ الحَتفُ عَن عاداتِهِ

فَما تَزالُ مَعانيهُنَّ أَبطالا

If circumstances move away from its norms

Its meanings will still remain mighty