وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ لا ضَغائِنَ بَينَهُم

إِذا أَرمَلوا لَم يولَعوا بِالتَلاوُمِ

And true young men without rancor between them

When they became destitute, they did not cling to recrimination

سَرَيتُ بِهِم حَتّى تَكِلَّ مَطِيُّهُم

وَحَتّى تَراهُم فَوقَ أَغبَرَ طاسِمِ

I walked with them until their riding beasts grew weary

And until you could see them above the dust of a valiant assailant

وَإِنّي أَذينٌ أَن يَقولوا مُزايِلٌ

بِأَيٍّ يَقولُ القَومُ أَصحابُ حاتِمِ

And indeed I fear that they will say, he is abandoning us

With what will the people say, the companions of Hatem

فَإِمّا تُصيبُ النَفسُ أَكبَرَ هَمِّه

وَإِمّا أُبَشِّركُم بِأَشعَثَ غانِمِ

Either the soul will attain its greatest concern

Or I give you good tidings of a disheveled despoiler