1. May it be unveiled and spare you blame
And the water of the face in the cheeks gathered
١. عساها تنجلى وخلاك ذمٌّ
وماءُ الوجه في الوجَناتِ جَمُّ
2. And the question did not run on my tongue
Nor did my hand touch a Flexible sea
٢. ولم يَجرِ السؤالُ على لسانى
ولا ندَّى يدى بحرٌ خِضمٌ
3. Vanity will protect me from people
Who are misers in the disease of stinginess, deaf
٣. سيحرُسنى التجمُّل من أناس
هُمُ عنّى بداء البُخْل صُمُّ
4. Their belly's provision protected them
Over the bare and the intense stench
٤. حمانى زادَهم بطنٌ خميصٌ
على الجُلَّى وعِرنينٌ أشَمُّ
5. So I watered the cold of despair from them
A heart that burns from their hopes
٥. فقد سقَّيتُ بَرْدَ اليأسِ منهم
فؤادا من رجائهمُ يُحَمُّ
6. And how can I oblige kindness to a people
Praise and blame are equal to them
٦. وكيف أكلَّف المعروفَ قوما
سواءٌ عندهم مدحٌ وذمُّ
7. Kind deeds meet humiliation with them
As the most aromatic aloes wood meets the uncouth
٧. تُلاقِى المكرماتُ بهم هوانا
كما يلقَى بذى الرَّوِق الأجَمُّ
8. If they laugh at me they see it as righteousness
All righteousness is kissing and hugging to them
٨. إذا ضحِكوا الىَّ رأَوْه بِرًّا
أكلُّ البِرّ تقبيلٌ وضمَُّ
9. They see the disobedience of what they hoarded as unlawful
Is the offered honor a father or a mother?
٩. يرَوْنَ عقوقَ ما كنزَوا حراما
هل العَرَض المسومُ أبٌ وأُمُّ
10. And how many repugnant traits in them
That would smell if manners could be smelled
١٠. وكم من شيمةٍ دفراءَ فيهم
تفوح لو أنّ أخلاقاً تُشَمُّ
11. Withered mouths will come to them
With types of disgrace that cannot be controlled
١١. ستأتيهم قوافٍ شارداتٌ
بأنساعِ المخازى لا تُزمُّ
12. A saying in the souls that has bustling
And some of the words in honors are poison
١٢. مقالٌ في النفوسِ له دبيبٌ
وبعض القول في الأعراض سُمُّ
13. So the pronunciation of the closed mouth is an opening
Whenever the structure of the palm becomes closed
١٣. فإعرابُ الفَمِ المِنطبقِ فتحٌ
متى أضحى بناءُ الكفّ ضمُّ