وَلَكِنَّني وُكِّلتُ مِن كُلِّ باخِلٍ

عَليَّ بِما أُعنى بِهِ وَأُمَنَّعُ

Yet I am assigned by every miser

To bear what I am busy with and denied

وَفي البُخلِ عارٌ فاضِحٌ وَنَقيصَةٌ

عَلى أَهلِهِ والجُودُ أَبقى وَأَوسَعُ

Stinginess is a disgraceful flaw and defect

Upon its people, while generosity is more lasting and ample

أجِدَّكَ لا تَنسى سُعادَ وَذِكرَها

فَيَرقأُ دَمعُ العَينِ مِنكَ فَتَهجَعُ

I see you do not forget Suad's happiness and memory

So tears well up in your eyes as you lie down

طَرِبت فَما يَنفَكُّ يُحزِنُكَ الهَوى

مُوَدِّعُ بَينٍ راحِلٌ وَموَدَّعُ

You were disturbed, so your love does not cease to grieve you

A departing lover, and one bid farewell

أَبى قَلبُها إِلا بعاداً وَقَسوَةً

وَمالَ إِلَيها وُدُّ قَلبِكَ أَجمَعُ

Her heart refused but distance and harshness

While your heart's love leaned towards her completely

فَلا هِيَ بِالمَعروفِ مِنكَ سَخيَّةٌ

فَتُبرِمُ حَبلَ الوَصلِ أَو تَتَبَرَّعُ

She is not generous to you with kindness

To strengthen the rope of connection, or show good will

وَلا هوَ إِمّا عاتِبٌ كانَ قابِلاً

مِنَ الهائِمِ الصَبِّ الَّذي يَتَضَرَّعُ

Nor is he but a reproacher who was accepting

Of the passionate, pleading, tearful lover

أَفِق أَيُّها المَرءُ الَّذي بِهُمومِهِ

إِلى الظاعِنِ النائي المَحَلَّةِ يَنزِعُ

Wake up, O man who with his worries

Yearns for the remote, forsaken beloved

فَما كُلُّ ما أَمَّلتَهُ أَنتَ مُدرِكٌ

وَلا كُلُّ ما حاذَرتَهُ عَنكَ يُدفَعُ

For not everything you wished for will you attain

Nor everything you feared will be warded off from you

وَلا كُلُّ ذي حِرصٍ يُزادُ بِحِرصِهِ

وَلا كُلُّ راجٍ نَفعَهُ المَرءُ يَنفَعُ

Nor will every greedy one gain by his greed

Nor will every hopful person benefit what he hopes for

وَكَم سائِلٍ أُمنِيَّةً لَو يَنالُها

لَظَلَّ بِسوءِ القَولِ في القَومِ يَقنَعُ

And how many beseechers, if they attained their wish

Would remain content with evil speech among the people

وَذي صَمَمٍ عِندَ العِتابِ وَسَمعُهُ

لما شاءَ مِن أَمرِ السَفاهَةِ يَسمَعُ

And the stubborn whose hearing, when reproached

Hears what he wants from the matter of foolishness

وَمِن ناطِقٍ يُبدي التَكَلُّمُ عيَّهُ

وَقَد كانَ في الإِنصاتِ عَن ذاكَ مَربَعُ

And from a speaker whose speech reveals his blindness

While he had been wrapping himself from that in listening

وَمِن ساكِتٍ حِلماً عَلى غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

وَلا سَوأَةٍ مِن خَزيَةٍ يَتَقَنَّعُ

And from a silent one, wisely, without suspicion

Or fault from a shameful affair he wraps himself