تَشَبَّهتَ بِالأَعرابِ أَهلِ التَعَجرُفِ

فَدَلَّ عَلى فَحواكَ قُبحُ التَكَلُّفِ

You imitated the uncouth Bedouins

Thus exposing your ugly pretentiousness

لِسانٌ نُباطِيُّ البَيانِ عَرَفتُهُ

إِلى جِهَةِ الأَعرابِ لَم يَتَصَرَّفِ

An eloquent Nabataean tongue I recognized

That did not incline towards the Bedouins

وَشَيخُكَ شَيخٌ صالِحٌ غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

مَليءٌ بِتَحبيرِ الرِداءِ المُفَوَّفِ

And your sheikh, though devout

Is obsessed with dyeing his oversized robe

لَئِن كُنتَ لِلأَشعارِ وَالنَحوِ حافِظاً

لَقَد كانَ مِن حُفّاظِ سورَةِ يوسُفِ

Even if you have memorized poetry and grammar

He had memorized the chapter of Joseph