أَطرَدتَني حَذَرَ الهِجاءِ وَلا

وَاللاتِ وَالأَنصابِ لا تَئِلُ

You drove me away, fearing censure, but no!

By al-Lat and al-‘Uzza I shall not weaken,

وَرَهَنتَني هِنداً وَعِرضَكَ في

صُحُفٍ تَلوحُ كَأَنَّها خِلَلُ

And you made me a hostage, your honor at stake

In scrolls that glimmer like necklaces.

شَرُّ المُلوكِ وَشَرُّها حَسَباً

في الناس مَن عَلِموا وَمَن جَهِلوا

The worst of rulers in birth and in judgment

Are those whom the people know and those they don't.

الغَدرُ وَالآفاتُ شيمَتُهُ

فافهَم فَعُرقوبٌ لَهُ مَثَلُ

Treachery and curses are his traits.

So understand, for Ultroqub has his parallel.

بِئسَ الفُحولَةُ حينَ جُدَّتَهِم

عَركُ الرِهانِ وَبِئسَ ما يَخِلوا

Wretched are the vigorous men when their vigor

Is but the vigor of gambling, and wretched what they leave behind!

أَعني الخُؤولَةَ وَالعُمومَ فَهُم

كالطِبنِ لَيسَ لِبَيتِهِ حِوَلُ

I mean the fickle and the stay-at-homes, for they

Are like guiacum—around their house there is no enclosure.