مديحُك منْ تبتغي رِفدَهُ

مديحُك منْ تبتغي رِفدَهُ

هجاءٌ وإن كنتَ لا تُظهِرُهْ

هجاءٌ وإن كنتَ لا تُظهِرُهْ

Your praise of one whose bounty you seek

Your praise, you seek to feed it,

is satire, even if you do not reveal it,

Is slander though you don’t reveal it,

لأنك طالبتَ ما عندَهُ

لأنك طالبتَ ما عندَهُ

كأنك ترقيهِ أو تسحرُهْ

كأنك ترقيهِ أو تسحرُهْ

because you have demanded what he possesses,

For you sought what he possessed,

as though you chant charms over him or bewitch him.

As though to elevate or bewitch him.