أَتُخْفِرُ ذِمَّتِي وَتَرُومُ عَطْفِي

لَقَدْ مَنَّتْكَ نَفْسُكَ بِالْكِذابِ

Do you violate my covenant and seek my affection?

Indeed, your soul has benefited from lies

فَمَا بَعْدَ الْقَطِيعَةِ مِنْ تَلاقٍ

وَلا بَعْدَ الْخَديعَةِ مِنْ عِتَابِ

So after the breakup, there is no more meeting

Nor after deceit, is there any reproach

وَكَيْفَ يَصِحُّ بَعْدَ الْغَدْرِ وُدٌّ

وَتَسْلَمُ نِيَّةٌ بَعْدَ ارْتِيَابِ

And how can affection be sound after betrayal?

And how can an intention be safe after suspicion?

رُوَيْدَكَ إِنَّنِي صَعْبٌ أَبِيٌّ

عَلَى الأَقْرَانِ مَرْهُوبُ الْجَنَابِ

Calm yourself, indeed I am stubborn and unwilling

To the peers, alarmed and vigilant

أُجَاهِرُ بِالْعِدَاءِ وَلا أُبَالِي

وأَنْطِقُ بِالصَّوَابِ ولا أُحَابِي

I profess enmity openly and do not care

And I speak the truth and do not flatter

فَمَا زَنْدِي لَدَى الْعَوْصَاءِ كَابٍ

وَلا سَيْفِي غَدَاةَ الْحَرْبِ نابِي

So my spear is not blunt before the unruly

And my sword is not dull the morning of battle

يَهَابُ الْقِرْنُ بَادِرَتِي فَيَمْضِي

ومَا جَرَّدْتُ سَيْفِي مِنْ قِرابِ

The battalion fears my attack so it proceeds

And I have not sheathed my sword from its scabbard

فَإِنْ رُمْتَ السَّلامَةَ فَاجْتَنِبْنِي

عَدُوَّاً فَالسَّلامَةُ فِي اجْتِنابِي

So if you seek safety, then avoid me

As an enemy, for safety is in avoiding me

فَقَدْ عَادَيْتُ أَعْظَمَ مِنْكَ قَدْراً

ومَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَى بَدَنِي ثِيَابِي

For I have opposed those greater in worth than you

And my clothes have not been too tight for my body

فإِنْ تَنْزَعْ فَأَنْتَ طَلِيقُ عَفْوِي

وإِنْ تَطْمَعْ فَسَوْفَ تَرَى عِقَابِي

If you desist, you have my pardon

And if you are greedy, you will see my punishment