لي سَيِّدٌ قَد سامَني الخَسفا

أَكدى مِنَ المَعروفِ أَم أَصفى

I have a master who has made me taste bitterness,

Is he more generous or more pure?

أَستُرُ ماغَيَّرَ مِن رَأيِهِ

أُريدُ أَن يَخفى فَما يَخفى

I conceal what he has changed of his opinion,

I want it to be hidden yet it is not hidden.

داعَبَني بِالمَطلِ مُستَأنِياً

وَعَدَّهُ مِن فِعلِهِ ظَرفا

He toyed with me by prolonging,

And he counted that of his action as courtesy.

قَد كُنتَ مِن أَبعَدِهِم هِمَّةً

عِندي وَمِن أَجوَدِهِم كَفّا

You had been among the farthest of them in resolve

To me, and among the most generous of them in palm.

المائَةُ الدينارُ مَنسِيَّةٌ

في عِدَةٍ أَشبَعتَها خُلفا

The hundred dinars are forgotten

In a number you have saturated doubly.

لا صِدقُ إِسماعيلَ فيها وَلا

وَفاءُ إِبراهيمَ إِذ وَفّى

Neither the truth of Ishmael in it nor

The loyalty of Abraham when he was loyal.

إِن كُنتَ لا تَنوي نَجاحاً لَها

فَكَيفَ لاتَجعَلُها أَلفا

If you do not intend success for it

Then how can you not make it a thousand?

هَل لَكَ في الصُلحِ فَأُعفيكَ مِن

نِصفٍ وَتَستَأنِفُ لي نِصفا

Do you have reconciliation, so I exempt you

From half and you start over to me half?

أَو تَترُكَ الوُدَّ عَلى حالِهِ

وَتَستَوي أَقدامُنا صَفّا

Or you leave the affection as it is

And our feet line up equally?

إِنَّ الَّذي يَثقُلُ أَهلٌ لِأَن

يُضرَبَ عَنهُ لِلَّذي خَفّا

Indeed, he who is too heavy for a people

Is to be dismissed for the one who was light.