تَنَصَّلَ بَعدَ ما ظَلَما

فَعادَ لِوَصلِ ما صَرَما

He absolved himself after oppressing

And returned to mend what he had severed

وَقُلتُ لعالم بِالأَم

رِ مُنتَفِعٍ بِما عَلِما

And I said to a learned man

“Are you benefiting from your knowledge?”

أَلَستَ تَرى تَلَفُّتَهُ

فَقالَ نَعَم رَأَيتُ فَما

Do you not see his evasiveness?

He said “Yes I saw, but what?”

أَما يَكفيكَ أَنَّكَ كُن

تَ يَوم لَقيتَهُ عَلَما

Is it not enough for you that you

Were a banner when you met him?

فَقُلتُ تَذوقُهُ فَلَعَلَّ ذا

كَ الخَدَّ قَد لُثِما

I said “Taste it, perhaps this

Cheek has been kissed”

فَقَدَّمَ رَغبَةً قَدَما

وَأَخَّرَ رَهبَةً قَدَما

He put forward a desire on one foot

And delayed a fear on one foot

يُحاوِلُ غَمرَةً وَيَخا

فُ عِندَ وُقوعِها النَّدَما

He attempts a folly and fears

Regret when it befalls

فَكابَرَ طَرفُهُ فيها

فَأَرسَلَها وَما اِعتَزَما

So his gaze rebelled against it

And sent it though he did not intend it

فَما بَلَغَتهُ وَهيَ الحَر

بُ حَتّى رَدَّها سِلما

And it did not reach him while it was

War until he repelled it peacefully

كَأَنهُ كانَ يَرقُبُها

فَحينَ عَنَينَهُ فَهِما

As if he was watching for it

So when he worried about it, he understood

وَأَقبَلَ بَعدَها مُتَخَدْ

درا يَتَعَسَّفُ الحشما

And after it he came self-important

Forcing austerity on the cheeks

يَسيلُ جَبينُهُ عَرَقا

وَتَقطُرُ وَجنَتاهُ دَما

His forehead dripping sweat

And his cheeks dripping blood

وَيُقصِرُ طَرفَهُ كَيلا

تَرى عَيناهُ مُتَّهَما

And lowering his gaze lest

Eyes see him blamed

يُبادِرُ أَن يُراحَ لِكَي

يَصحَّ لَهُ الَّذي حَتَما

He hurries to be relieved so

What he determined would be sound for him

فَحط بِرحلِنا نعماً

فَبِتنا نَشكُرُ النِّعما

So he alighted at our abode, a blessing

And we spent the night thanking for blessings

أَشوفُ مُقَلَّدا سَبطا

وَأَرشُفُ بارِداً شَبما

I patrol wearing a necklace

And I mount keeping cool a jug

أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد سَنَحَ ال

عِتابُ عَلَيهِ فَانتَظَما

I say to him when blame

Was appropriate for him and then he was silent:

أَذنباً كُنتَ تَحسبُ جَفْ

وَتي بِاللَّهِ أَم كَرَما

“Did you think my aloofness was a sin

By God or nobility?”

أَما اِستَحيَيتَ يَوم كَذا

وَيَومَ كَذا أَما وَأَما

“Are you not ashamed, that day

And that day, oh what days!”

فَنَكَّسَ ناظِراً في ظَه

رِ كَفٍّ يُنبِتُ العَنَما

So he looked down at the palm

Of a hand growing ants

وَقالَ وَما عَلى رَجُلٍ

أُسيءَ بِهِ إِذا اِنتَعَما

And said, “What’s on a man

If he was harmed when he enjoyed himself?”