1. لَيتَ شِعري عَن خَليلي ما الَّذي

    غالَهُ في الحُبِّ حَتّى وَدَعَهُ

    Would that I knew, concerning my friend, what it was

    that overcame him in love until he forsook it.

  2. لا تُؤاخِ الدَهرَ جِبساً راضِعاً

    مُلهَبَ الشَدِّ سَريعَ المَنزَعَه

    Never in all your days befriend a base miser,

    fiery in his charge, swift in retreat.

  3. ما يَنَل مِنكَ فَأَحلى مَغنِمٍ

    وَيَرى ظَرفاً بِهِ أَن يَمنَعَه

    Whatever he gains from you is the sweetest prize,

    and he thinks himself clever for withholding it.

  4. يَسأَلُ الناسَ وَلا يُعطيهِمُ

    هَبِلَته أُمُّه ما أَجشَعَه

    He asks of others, but gives them nothing—

    may his mother be bereft of him! How greedy he is!

  5. حَقِّقِ القَولَ إِذا ما قُلتَهُ

    واحذَرَن مَخزاتَهُ في المَجمَعَه

    Make good your word whenever you speak it,

    and beware the shame it brings you in company.

  6. لا تُهِنّي بَعدَ إِكرامِكَ لي

    فَشَديدٌ عادَةٌ مُنتَزَعَه

    Do not humiliate me after honoring me,

    for a habit torn away is hard to bear.

  7. لا يَكُن بَرقُكَ بَرقاً خُلَّباً

    انَّ خَيرَ البَرقِ ما الغَيثُ مَعهُ

    Let your lightning not be lightning without rain;

    indeed, the best lightning is that accompanied by rain.

  8. لا تَشوبَنَّ بِحَقٍّ باطِلاً

    إِنَّ في الحَقِّ لِذي الحَقِّ سَعَه

    Never mingle falsehood with truth;

    indeed, in truth there is room enough for the one in the right.

  9. أَطِلِ الصَمتَ إِذا ما لَم تُسَل

    إِنَّ في الصَمتِ لِأَقوامٍ دَعَه

    Prolong your silence when you are not asked;

    indeed, in silence there is ease for some people.

  10. رُبَّ ماشٍ بِحَديثٍ قالَهُ

    لا يَضُرُّ المَرءَ أَن لا يَسمَعَه

    Many a man goes about with a tale he has told—

    it does a man no harm not to hear it.