إني امرؤ لا تَرى لساني

مُنَظِّماً ما حييتُ هَجْوا

I am a man whose tongue you cannot see

Ever uttering blame while I live

كم شاتمٍ لي عَفَوْتُ عَنْهُ

مُصَمِّماً في اللّسانِ نَهْوا

How many slanderers have I forgave

Determining for the tongue restraint

وابْتَدَهَ الهُجْرَ فيّ ظلماً

حتى إذا لم أجِبْهُ رَوّى

Yet he persisted to wrong me in ignorance

Until when I did not answer, he fabricated

لَفْظَتُهُ زَلّةٌ تُلاقي

مِنْ لفظَتي في الخطابِ عَفوا

His slip became one that meets

My speech in pardon and restraint

كم قائلٍ إذ تركْتُ عنه

بَحري بترك الجوابِ رَهْوا

How many speakers when I neglected

My sea calmed by leaving response still

وَعْوَعَ سِيدٌ على هزَبرٍ

فما رآهُ الهزبرُ كُفْوا

A young lord over an old wise one

Yet the old did not see him as equal

ولو سطا قادراً عليه

لم يبُقِ للطيرِ فيه شِلوا

If he tried to control him

No trace of him would remain for the birds

إنّ مطايا القريض نُجْبٌ

أجِيدُ سَوقاً لها وحَدوا

Truly, the steeds of poetry are excellent

I know how to lead and spur them on

بمثل زأر الهصورِ جَزْلاً

أو كَبُغامِ الغزال حُلوا

With the likes of the trumpeting of lions

Or the howl of a gazelle, sweetly

لوْ شِئْتُ صَيّرْت بالقوافي

غارة هجوي عليه شعوا

If I wished, I could form with rhymes

A raid of blame upon him raging

ومَزّقَ القولُ منه عِرْضاً

لا يجدُ المدحُ فيه رَفْوا

And speech would tear him with shame

Where praise cannot find access