نبئت أن زيادا ظل يشتمني — أبو الأسود الدؤلي

نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ زياداً ظَلَّ يَشتُمَني

والقَولُ يُكتَبُ عِندَ اللَهِ والعَمَلُ

I was told that Ziyad kept insulting me,

and words and deeds are recorded with God.

وَقَد لَقِيتُ زياداً ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَهُ

وَقبلَ ذَلِكَ ما خَبَّت بِهِ الرُسُلُ

I had met Ziyad and then said to him—

and before that came what the messengers had hurried to convey—

حَتّى ما تَسرقُني في كُلِّ مجمَعَةٍ

عَرضي وَأَنتَ إِذا ما شِئتَ مُنتَقِلُ

How long will you rob me, in every gathering,

of my honor, when you can change course whenever you wish,

وَمُكفِلُ اللَهَ بِالعُتبى وَمُعتَرِفٌ

أَن قَد ظُلِمتُ وَمُستَعِفٍ وَمُعتَذِلُ

and make God your guarantor for amends, and acknowledge

that I have been wronged, seeking pardon and accepting blame?

ثُمَّ اِنثَنيتَ وَنَفسي ما تواثِقُني

وَالغَدرُ بِالمَوثِقِ النِسيانُ وَالعَجَلُ

Then you turned away, and my soul would not reassure me;

and forgetfulness and haste betray a solemn pledge.

كُلُّ امرىءٍ صائِرٌ يَوماً لِشِيمَتِهِ

في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ يُبلى بِها الرَجُلُ

Every man will one day return to his own nature,

in every circumstance by which a man is tested.

وَلَو تَلَبَّثَ عَنها غَيرَ تارِكِها

إِلّا إِلَيها قَريباً ثُمَّ يَنتَقِلُ

Even if he holds back from it, without forsaking it,

then, before long, he moves back to it alone.

إِذا أَرادَ لَها تَركاً تَقَعَّدَهُ

كَما تَقَعَّدَ ساقَ الموثَقِ الطِوَلُ

When he wishes to abandon it, it holds him back,

as a long tether holds back the leg of one tied fast.