لَعَمرُكَ ما خَشيتُ عَلى يَزيدٍ

مِنَ الفَخرِ المُضَلَّلِ ما أَتاني

By your life! I did not fear for Yazid

From the misguided boasting that came to me

كَأَنَّ التاجَ مَعصوباً عَلَيهِ

لِأَذوادٍ أُصِبنَ بِذي أَبانِ

As if the crown was tightly wrapped around him

For lambs struck with wolf's teeth

فَحَسبُكَ أَن تُهاضَ بِمُحكَماتٍ

يَمُرُّ بِها الرَويُّ عَلى لِساني

It is enough for you to give measured judgments

Through which poetry flows on my tongue

فَقَبلَكَ ما شُتِمتُ وَقاذَعوني

فَما نَزُرَ الكَلامُ وَلا شَجاني

Before you, I was insulted and they antagonized me

But the words did not diminish me nor make me sad

يَصُدُّ الشاعِرُ الثَنيانُ عَنّي

صُدودَ البَكرِ عَن قَرمٍ هِجانِ

The critic turns away from me

Like a young camel turns away from an old fiery stallion

أَثَرتَ الغَيَّ ثُمَّ نَزَعتَ عَنهُ

كَما حادَ الأَزَبُّ عَنِ الظِعانِ

You aroused mischief then removed yourself from it

Like a calf turns away from the she-camel returning from water

فَإِن يَقدِر عَلَيكَ أَبو قُبَيسٍ

تَمَطَّ بِكَ المَعيشَةُ في هَوانِ

If Abu Qubays can have power over you

You will be dragged through life in humiliation

وَتُخضَب لِحيَةٌ غَدَرَت وَخانَت

بِأَحمَرَ مِن نَجيعِ الجَوفِ آني

And a beard that betrayed and deceived

Will be dyed red with the blood of the slain from the stomach's interior

وَكُنتَ أَمينَهُ لَو لَم تَخُنهُ

وَلَكِن لا أَمانَةَ لِليَمانِ

You were his trustee had you not betrayed him

But there is no loyalty for the treacherous