لَو كُنتَ مِثلي يا خِيارُ تَعَسَّفَت

بِكَ البيضُ ضَربَ العَوجَهِيَّ وَداعِرِ

If you were like me, O Khayar, you would have been abused,

By you the perfect white orb attacked the crooked tent peg.

وَكُنتَ عَلى أَرضِ المَهاري مُؤَمَّراً

عَلى كُلِّ بادٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ وَحاضِرِ

And you were in the land of the skillful, stationed

At every wind from the intestine and the present liver.

مُهَلَّلَةَ الأَعضادِ إِن سِرتَ لَيلَةً

بِها أَصبَحَت خِمسَ البَريدِ المُبادِرِ

With limbs made slender if you walked by night,

By it, five of the coolness of morning became hastening.

وَلَو كُنتَ بِالحَزمِ اِحتَزَمتَ صُدورَها

بِكُلِّ عِلافِيٍّ مِنَ المَيسِ قاتِرِ

And if you had been resolute, you would have girded their chests

With every strong strap made of goat hair fabric.

تَراها إِذا الحادي رَجا أَن تَنالَها

عَصاهُ شَأَتهُ كُلُّ حَقباءَ ضامِرِ

You see them, when the guide hopes to reach them,

The staff of each old man of many days breaks.

تَرى إِبِلاً ما لَم تُحَرِّك رُؤوسَها

وَهُنَّ إِذا حَرَّكنَ غَيرُ الأَباعِرِ

You see camels that have not moved their necks,

And they, when they move, other than the young camels.

وَكُنتَ اِمرَأً لَم تَعرِفِ الأَمرَ مُقبِلاً

وَلَم تَكُ إِذ أَنكَرتَهُ ذا مَصادِرِ

And you were a man who did not recognize the matter coming,

And were not, when you denied it, one with stores.

فَهَلّا خَشيتَ القَومَ إِذ أَخرَجَتهُمُ

مِنَ السِجنِ حَيّاتٌ صِلابُ المَكاسِرِ

Why then did you not fear the people when you brought them out

From prison, lively serpents, strong of striking.

أُناسٌ تُراخي الكَربَ عَنهُم سُيوفُهُم

إِذا كانَتِ الأَنفاسُ عِندَ الحَناجِرِ

People who swords relieve anxiety from them

When the breaths were at the throats.