واللهِ ما المردُ مرادي وإنْ

واللهِ ما المردُ مرادي وإنْ

نظمتُ فيهم كعقودِ الجمانْ

نظمتُ فيهم كعقودِ الجمانْ

By God, beardless youths are not my desire, though

By God, my intention was never to praise them, though

I have composed verses about them like strings of pearls.

I strung them together like pearls on a necklace.

لكنَّ مَنْ رامَ نفاقَ الذي

لكنَّ مَنْ رامَ نفاقَ الذي

يقولُهُ ينظمُ خَرْجَ الزمانْ

يقولُهُ ينظمُ خَرْجَ الزمانْ

But whoever seeks acceptance for what

But he who seeks to be two-faced with words

he says composes what suits the times.

Will string together worthless beads for all time.