حاشا لِمِثْلِكَ أنْ يَفُكَّ أسِيرا

أوْ أنْ يَكُونَ مِنَ الزَّمان مُجيرا

It is far from you to free a captive,

Or to find refuge with time.

لَبِسَتْ قَوَافي الشِّعرِ فِيكَ مَدارعاً

سُوداً وَصَكَّتْ أَوْجُهاً وَصُدورا

You have clothed poetry's metrics in mourning robes,

Black, beating their faces and breasts.

هَلَّا عَطَفْتَ بِرَحْمَةٍ لَمَّا دعَتْ

وَيلاً عَلَيْكَ مَدائِحي وَثُبُورا

If only you had shown some compassion when she called -

Woe to you from my praises and elegies!

لوْ أنَّ لؤمَكَ عَادَ جُوداً عُشْرُهُ

ما كانَ عِنْدَكَ حاتِمٌ مَذْكورا

If but a tenth of your vileness became kindness,

You would not have Hatem renowned for generosity.