هَزَزتُكَ هِزَّةَ السَيفِ المُحَلّى

هَزَزتُكَ هِزَّةَ السَيفِ المُحَلّى

فَلَمّا أَن ضَرَبتُ بِكَ اِنثَنَيتُ

فَلَمّا أَن ضَرَبتُ بِكَ اِنثَنَيتُ

I brandished you as one brandishes an ornamented sword;

I brandished you like a gilded sword,

but when I struck with you, I recoiled.

but when I struck with you, you bent.

مَدَحتُكَ مِدحَةَ الطَرفِ المُجَلّي

مَدَحتُكَ مِدحَةَ الطَرفِ المُجَلّي

لِتَجرِيَ في الكَرامِ كَما جَرَيتُ

لِتَجرِيَ في الكَرامِ كَما جَرَيتُ

I praised you as one praises a race-winning steed,

I praised you with the praise of a coy glance,

so that you might race among the noble, as I raced.

so you would flow in honor as I did.

فَهَبها مِدحَةً ذَهَبَت ضَياعاً

فَهَبها مِدحَةً ذَهَبَت ضَياعاً

كَذِبتُ عَلَيكَ فيها وَاِفتَرَيتُ

كَذِبتُ عَلَيكَ فيها وَاِفتَرَيتُ

So consider it a tribute that went to waste:

But that praise went to waste,

I lied about you in it and fabricated falsehoods.

for I lied about you and fabricated.

فَأَنتَ المَرءُ لَيسَ لَهُ وَفاءٌ

فَأَنتَ المَرءُ لَيسَ لَهُ وَفاءٌ

كَأَنّي إِذ مَدَحتُكَ قَد زَنَيتُ

كَأَنّي إِذ مَدَحتُكَ قَد زَنَيتُ

For you are a man without loyalty;

You are not a man of loyalty.

it is as though, when I praised you, I had committed fornication.

It was as if, when I praised you, I had sinned.