يُحَقُّ كَسادُ الشِعرِ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

إِذا نَفَقَت هَذي العُروضُ الكَواسِدُ

It is right that poetry decays in every homeland

When these ample measures have depleted

عُفاةُ القَوافي كَالَّذي وَلُماتِها

إِذا هُنَّ لَم يوصَلنَ فَاللَفظُ فاسِدُ

Uncultured rhymes are like those whose gatherings

When they congregate are unsound in wording

وَمَن عاشَ بَينَ الناسِ لَم يَخلُ مِن أَذاً

بِما قالَ واشٍ أَو تَكَلَّمَ حاسِدُ

And he who lives amongst the people will not lack harm

From the speech of a slanderer or an envious defamer

وَلَيسَ جِسادٌ في تَرائِبِ كاعِبٍ

كَأَحمَرَ مِنهُ مَضرَبُ السَيفِ جاسِدُ

And no body in the shrouds of a mourner

Is redder than the strike of the sword that rends flesh