يا سليمانُ لا ألومك في ردْ

يا سليمانُ لا ألومك في ردْ

دِك شعري وهل تُلام البهيمَهْ

دِك شعري وهل تُلام البهيمَهْ

O Sulayman, I do not blame you for rejecting

O Suleiman, I do not blame you for your

my poetry; can a beast be blamed?

rejection of my poetry, should the beast be blamed?

دلَّهتك اثنتانِ عن فهم شعري

دلَّهتك اثنتانِ عن فهم شعري

خوفُ أن تُجتَدى وخوفُ الهزيمَهْ

خوفُ أن تُجتَدى وخوفُ الهزيمَهْ

Two things distracted you from understanding my poetry:

Two things have led you astray from understanding my poetry

fear of being asked for a gift, and fear of defeat.

The fear of straining yourself and the fear of defeat

بل رأيت المديحَ فيك قبيحاً

بل رأيت المديحَ فيك قبيحاً

كَلبوسٍ على عروسٍ ذميمَهْ

كَلبوسٍ على عروسٍ ذميمَهْ

Rather, you thought praise of you ugly,

Rather I saw praise of you as ugly

like a garment on an ugly bride.

As a gown on a wretched bride

بل قد ارتحْتَ واهتَزَزت لشعري

بل قد ارتحْتَ واهتَزَزت لشعري

فأرتك الإمساك نفسٌ لئيمَهْ

فأرتك الإمساك نفسٌ لئيمَهْ

Rather, you were indeed delighted and stirred by my poetry;

Rather you were relieved and shook at my poetry

then a base soul counseled you to withhold.

So I left holding back, a wretched soul