طوى وده الملحي عني فانطوى

وقد كان لي خلا فأعرض والتوى

Al-Milḥī folded his affection away from me, and it lay folded away.

He had been a close friend to me, but turned away and twisted aside.

دعاني فغداني بإنشاد شعره

فلولا انصرافي عنه بت على الطوى

He invited me, then fed me his recited verse for lunch.

Had I not left him, I would have spent the night hungry.

وقال أتاك الحلي قلت مداعيا

أتاني النوى من بائع الملح بالنوى

He said, “Jewels have come to you.” I said, countering,

“Date stones came to me from a seller of salt for date stones.”

وناولني مسودة لو قرنتها

إلى القار كانا في سوادهما سوا

And he handed me a rough draft: had I placed it

Beside pitch, the two would have been equal in their blackness.

وقال أرى هذا الشراب لصفوه

ورقته كالنجم قلت إذا هوى

And he said, “I find this drink, for its clarity

And delicacy, like a star.” I said, “When it falls.”

وفضل في الشعر آمرأً غير فاضل

فقلت له أمسك نطقت عن الهوى

He favored in poetry a man without distinction.

So I said to him, “Stop! You have spoken out of bias.”

ولو أنني أحمي الثقاف لميله

وأعمل فيه الغمز لانصات واستوى

And were I to heat the spear-straightener for his crookedness

And apply pressure to him, he would yield and straighten.