وابن منصور والحبشي في العام

وشداد عنك قالوا محالاً

And Ibn Mansur and al-Habashi, this year,

And Shaddad—they spoke falsehoods about you.

كثروا ثم قللوا ثم دسوا

وأجلوا ومثلوا الأمثالا

They exaggerated, then belittled, then insinuated,

And made things plain, and drew comparisons.

طلبوا جاهك الرفيعَ فلما

قصروا اذرعا وطلت منالاَ

They sought your lofty standing; but when

Their reach fell short and you towered beyond their grasp,

أقسموا لا أروك إلا بعين

طالما غرّتِ العيونُ الرجالا

They swore they saw you only with an eye—

How often eyes have deceived men!

وإذا كنت أنت أنت وخا

نوك فإني أقل حالاً وأَلا

And if, you being who you are, they have be—

—trayed you, then I am lesser in standing and kin.