أَبا عَليٍ لِأَلَدِّ إِن سَطا
وَلِلخُصومِ إِن أَطالوا اللَغطا
O Abi Ali be steadfast though the disputants prolong the contention
You will hit the mark if they make mistakes
تُصيبُ عَمداً إِن أَصابوا غَلطا
وَلُمَعٌ تَكشِفُ عَنهُنَّ الغِطا
And lights that uncover their veilings
You uncovered the secret of the veiled virgins
كَشفَكَ عَن بَيضِ العَذاريَ الغِطا
وَمُصعَبٍ لِلقَولِ صَعبِ المُمتَطى
And made plain what was crooked in speech
You were overbearing until the carried became the carrier
عَسَفتَ حَتّى عادَ مَجزولَ المَطا
دامي المِلاطِ رَحلُهُ قَد أَغبَطا
The duration of his sojourn has made him envy
And walkers by steps not by slips
وَسائِراتٍ بِالخُطى لا بِالخِطا
شَوارِدٍ عَنكَ قَطَعنَ الرُبُطا
Distracted from you, they cut the tie
As you saw the horses galloping the turf
كَما رَأَيتَ الخَيلَ تَعدو المَرَطى
أَلبَستَ فيها كُلَّ أُذنٍ قُرُطا
You made every ear in it ring
Our understandings have attained the rank of the arrivers
قَد وَرَدَت أَفهامَنا وِردَ القَطا
وَمُشكِلاتٍ ما نَشَطنَ مَنشَطا
And problems that no propose roused to the effort
Their inaction with a saying, when inactive
عِطالُها بِمِقوَلٍ إِذا عِطالُها
مَيَّزَ مِن دَيجورِها ما اِختَلَطا
It discriminated amidst its confusedness what was mixed
It divested between the adorned combs
غَلَّلَ ما بَينَ العِقاصِ المُشُطا
ضَلَّ المُجارونَ وَما تَوَرَّطا
The emulators went astray and were not entangled
They inclined to emulate an elegant one who stepped forth
مَلّوا مُجاراةَ فَنيقٍ قَد مَطا
قَرمٌ يَهُدَّ الأَرضَ إِن تَخَمَّطا
An old man who shakes the earth if he crawls
The riding beast licked the spotted spider
مَلَّ المَطِيُّ القَرَبَ العَنَطنَطا
تَطَرَّفوا الفَجَّ الَّذي تَوَسَّطا
They frequent the crevasse that lay between
Neither panicking nor exulting
لا جَزِعاً أَودى وَلا مُغتَبِطا
كانوا العَقابيلَ وَكُنتَ الفَرَطا
They were the obstacle, and you were the exceller
At hastening the people recognize the laggard
عِندَ السَراعِ يَعرِفُ القَومُ البِطا
أَرضى زَمانٌ بِكَ ثُمَّ أَسخَطا
A time was pleased with you, then angered
The days did not seek any wantonness from us
ما أَطلَبَ الأَيّامَ مِنّا شَطَطا
