ذَمَمتُكَ أَوَّلاً حَتّى إِذا ما

بَلَوتُ سِواكَ عادَ الذَمُّ حَمدا

At first I blamed you, until when I

Tested others, blame turned to praise.

فَلَم أَحمِدكَ مِن خَيرٍ وَلَكِن

رَأَيتُ سِواكَ شَرّاً مِنكَ حَدّا

I did not praise you for your goodness, but

I saw others were worse than you absolutely.

فَعُدتُ إِلَيكَ مُجتَدِياً ذَليلاً

لِأَنّي لَم أَجِد مِن ذاكَ بُدا

So I returned to you humbly, lowly,

Because I found no alternative to that.

كَمَجهودٍ تَحامى لَحمَ مَيتٍ

فَلَمّا اِضطُرَّ عادَ إِلَيهِ شَدّا

Like one repelled from eating dead flesh,

Who, when desperate, returns to it eagerly.