ما سارِقُ الدِرعَينِ إِن كُنتَ ذاكِراً

بِذي كَرَمٍ مِنَ الرِجالِ أُوادِعُه

O you who took the coats of mail, if you remember

A generous man, I bid him farewell.

فَقَد أَنزَلَتهُ بِنتُ سَعدٍ فَأَصبَحَت

يُنازِعُها جِلدُ اِستِها وَتُنازِعُه

Saad's daughter brought him down, so she became

His smooth skin contends with her, and she contends with it.

فَهَلّا أَسيداً جِئتَ جارَكَ راغِباً

إِلَيهِ وَلَم تَعمَد لَهُ فَتُرافِعُه

Why did you not come to your neighbor desiring

Him, and not set out to contend with him?

ظَنَنتُم بِأَن يَخفى الَّذي قَد صَنَعتُمُ

وَفيكُم نَبِيٌّ عِندَهُ الحُكمُ واضِعُه

You thought that what you had done would be hidden

While in your midst was a prophet, the one who laid down its rule.

فَلَولا رِجالٌ مِنكُمُ أَن يَسوأَهُم

هِجائي لَقَد حَلَّت عَلَيكُم طَوالِعُه

If not for some men among you whom my

Satire distressed, its fortunes would have descended upon you.

فَإِن تَذكُروا كَعباً إِذا ما نُسيتُمُ

فَهَل مِن أَديمٍ لَيسَ فيهِ أَكارِعُه

If you remember Ka'b when you forget,

Is there any skin that does not have scabs upon it?

هُمُ الرَأسُ وَالأَذنابُ في الناسِ أَنتُم

فَلَم تَكُ إِلّا في الرُؤوسِ مَسامِعُه

You are the heads and the tails among people.

You were none but in the heads were its hearings.