رَأَيتُكَ يا أُخَيَّ تُطيلُ هَزّي

رَأَيتُكَ يا أُخَيَّ تُطيلُ هَزّي

وَتَحريكي بِمَنطِقِكَ القَبيحِ

وَتَحريكي بِمَنطِقِكَ القَبيحِ

I have seen you, my little brother, go on shaking me

I saw you, my brother, prolonging your blame,

And stirring me with your ugly speech.

And disturbing me with your ugly speech,

وَلَستَ بِثابِتٍ فيهِم فَتُهجى

وَلَستَ بِثابِتٍ فيهِم فَتُهجى

وَلا مَولىً لِثابِتِهِم صَريحِ

وَلا مَولىً لِثابِتِهِم صَريحِ

Yet you have no firm standing among them to be satirized,

You are not steadfast among them, so you are blamed,

Nor are you a genuine client of one firmly established among them.

Nor an outright master for their steadfastness.

فَلا تَخطُب بِما تَجري إِلَيهِ

فَلا تَخطُب بِما تَجري إِلَيهِ

هِجائي فَهوَ أَغلى مِن مَديحي

هِجائي فَهوَ أَغلى مِن مَديحي

So do not seek, through what you rush into,

So do not seek what you are leading yourself to -

My satire, for it is more precious than my praise.

My blame, for it is more precious than my praise.