1. يا موقِظَ العَتبِ الَّذي هُوَ راقِدُ

    حَتّامَ توقِدُ مِنهُ ما هُوَ خامِدُ

    O you who awaken the reproach that lies asleep,

    How long will you rekindle what lies quenched within it?

  2. لَو كُنتَ تَعدِلُ في الحُكومَةِ لَم تَكُن

    تَقضي عَلَيَّ وَما لِخَصمِيَ شاهِدُ

    If you were fair in judgment, you would not

    Rule against me when my adversary has no witness.

  3. ساعَدتَ أَعدائي فَقَد شَلَّت يَدي

    هَل تَبطِشَ اليَدُ أَو يُعينُالساعِدُ

    You aided my enemies, and now my hand is paralyzed;

    Can the hand strike, or the forearm lend its aid?

  4. وَتَرَكتَ وَجهي مَسجِداً فَمُعَفَّرٌ

    في قِبلَتَيهِ مِنَ الدُموعِ وَساجِدُ

    And you left my face a mosque, with one dust-stained

    And another prostrate among the tears at its two prayer-directions.

  5. فَوَحَقِّ رَأسِ إِخائِنا قَسَماً بِهِ

    إِن كانَ مِمّا قيلَ حَرفٌ واحِدُ

    So, by the sanctity of our brotherhood's head—I swear by it—

    Not a single letter of what was said is true.

  6. أَتَشُكُّ في الذَهَبِ الَّذي هُوَ خالِصٌ

    أَنّي وَأَنتَ الصَيرُفِيُّ الناقِدُ

    Do you doubt the pure gold

    That I am, when you are the discerning money-changer?

  7. يا أَيُّها الوَلَدُ المُخَوَّفُ لا تَخَف

    إِن كُنتَ توقِنُ أَنَّني لَكَ والِدُ

    O frightened child, do not fear,

    If you are certain that I am a father to you.

  8. أَنتَ الَّذي صَيَّرتَ سَمعَكَ مَبرَكاً

    حَتّى أَناخَ بِهِ العَذولُ الحاسِدُ

    You are the one who made your hearing a camel's kneeling-place,

    Until the envious reproacher made his camel kneel there.

  9. وَسَلَلتَ مِن أَسيافِ سَبِّكَ مُرهَفاً

    وَفَمي لِماضي الرَدِّ عَنهُ غامِدُ

    And you drew a keen blade from the swords of your abuse,

    While my mouth keeps the keen blade of answering it sheathed.

  10. وَسَلبتَ جيدَ الوُدِّ حَليَ سَلامِنا

    فَغَدا وَلَيسَ عَلَيهِ مِنكَ قَلائِدُ

    And you stripped affection's neck of the jewels of our greetings,

    So it has come to wear no necklaces from you.

  11. فَاِرجِع عَنِ الهَجرِ الَّذي لِمَصيِفِهِ

    حُرٌّ فَطَلُّ رَبيعِ وَصلي بارِدُ

    So turn back from estrangement, whose summer

    Is hot, for the dew of my union's spring is cool.

  12. وَاِربِط عَلى يَدِكَ اللِقاءُ عَشِيَّةً

    فَأَنا عَلى خَيلِ الجَريدَةِ وارِدُ

    And bind the meeting to your hand one evening,

    For I shall arrive on the cavalry detachment's horses.