وافى وَقَد شَفَعَ التَقَطُّبُ وَجهَهُ

وَطَحا بِها مَرَحُ التَكَبُّرِ فَاِنثَنى

True to character, his haughty frown wrinkled his face,

And the pride he rode crashed down bending his frame.

يَبدو فَتَقذِفُهُ النُفوسُ لِثِقلِهِ

فَتَراهُ أَبعَدَ ما يَكونُ إِذا دَنا

Burdensome he seems, so souls thrust him away,

Further he is, though neared, the nearer he came.

فَطَفِقتُ أُنشِدُ إِذ بَصُرتُ بِحُمقِهِ

بَيتاً جَعَلتُ الشَطرَ مِنهُ مُضَمَّنا

On seeing his foolishness, verses came to recite,

Making the hemistich carry his image inlaid:

يا ثِقلَ صورَتِهِ وَخِفَّةَ رَأسِهِ

هَلّا نَقَلتِ إِلى هُنا مِن هاهُنا

"Oh weightiness of his form and lightness of mind!

Why not move that from here to over here instead?"