أَلَيْسَ مِنَ الْعَدْلِ أَنْ تَسْمَعَا

فَأَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ نَمُوماً سَعَى

Is it not just that you both should hear me?

So I complain to you of an overreaching blamer,

أَطَاعَ لَهُ الْمَاء حَتَّى اسْتَقَى

وَأَمْكَنَهُ الرِّعْيُ حَتَّى رَعَى

Who obeyed the water until he drew it up,

And the pasture enabled him until he grazed,

أَتَاكَ فَأَغْشَيْتَهُ مَنْزِلاً

رَحِيباً وَأَرْعَيْتَهُ مِسْمَعَاً

He came to you, so you sheltered him

With a spacious abode, and lent him an ear,

فَأَبْدَعَ مَا شَاءَ فِي فِرْيَةٍ

تَأَنَّقَ فِي صُنْعِها وَادَّعَى

So he created whatever he wished with trickery,

Embellishing his making and claiming,

صَنَاعُ اللِّسَانِ خَلُوبُ الْبَيَا

نِ يَخْلُقُ مِنْ ضِحْكِهِ أَدْمُعَا

The makers of tongues are deceitful in mind,

Creating tears from his laughter,

حَرِيصٌ عَلَى الشَّرِّ لا يَنْثَنِي

عَنِ القَصْدِ مَا لَمْ يَجِدْ مَنْزَعا

Eager for evil, never turning

From his aim unless he finds no escape,

يَسِيرُ مَعَ الرِّفْقِ حَتَّى إِذَا

تَمَكَّنَ مِنْ فُرْصَةٍ أَوْضَعَا

He goes along with gentleness until, when

He gets an opportunity, he lays down his burden,

وَمَا كَانَ لَوْلا خِلاجُ الظُّنُونِ

لِيَرْغَبَ فِي الْقَوْلِ أَوْ يَطْمَعَا

And had it not been for the suspicions of backbiters,

He would not have desired speech or coveted,

وَلا وَحِفَاظِكَ وَهْوَ الْيَمِي

نُ مَا حُلْتُ عَنْ عَهْدِكُمْ إِصْبَعَا

And were it not for your safekeeping and restraint,

I would not have desisted from your pact a finger’s breadth,

وَلَكِنَّهَا نَزَغَاتُ الْوُشَاةِ

أَصَابَتْ هَوىً فَلَوَتْ أَخْدَعَا

But these are the incitements of slanderers

Who have struck a passion and led astray,

وَلَيْسَ مَلامِي عَلَى مَنْ وَشَى

وَلَكِنْ مَلامِي عَلَى مَنْ وَعَى

And my blame is not upon him who slandered,

Rather my blame is upon him who was aware,

أَيَجْمُلُ بِالْعَهْدِ أَنْ يُسْتَبَاحَ

لِوَاشٍ وَلِلْوُدِّ أَنْ يُقْطَعَا

Does it befit the pact to be violated

For a slanderer and the love to be cut off?

فَشَتَّانَ مَا بَيْنَنَا فِي الْوِدَا

دِ خِلٌّ أَضَاعَ وَخِلٌّ رَعَى

Far apart are what is between us in affection -

A friend who lost and a friend who kept watch,

وَمَنْ أَشْرَكَ النَّاسَ فِي أَمْرِهِ

دَعَتْهُ الضَّرُورَةُ أَنْ يُخْدَعَا

And he who involved people in his affair,

Necessity led him to be deceived,

فَخُذْهَا إِلَيْكَ عِتَابِيَّةً

تَرُدُّ عَصِيَّ الْمُنَى طَيِّعَا

So take from me in your address

One who returns the stubborn will tame,

وَلَوْلا مَكَانُكَ مِنْ مُهْجَتِي

لَمَا قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ عِثَارٍ لَعَا

And were it not for your position in my regard,

I would not have said to the son of censure: Refrain!