صَحِيفةٌ طابَعُها اللُّومُ

صَحِيفةٌ طابَعُها اللُّومُ

عُنوانُها بالجهلِ مَختومُ

عُنوانُها بالجهلِ مَختومُ

A letter whose seal is blame,

A paper whose attribute is blame

its heading stamped with ignorance.

Its title sealed with ignorance

أَهداكَها والخُلفُ في طَيِّها

أَهداكَها والخُلفُ في طَيِّها

والمَطلُ والتَّسويفُ واللومُ

والمَطلُ والتَّسويفُ واللومُ

He gave it to you as a gift, with broken promises in its folds,

He gifted it while treachery was in its folds

and stalling, procrastination, and blame.

Procrastination, delay, and blame

من وجهِهِ نَحْسٌ ومَن قُربِهِ

من وجهِهِ نَحْسٌ ومَن قُربِهِ

رِجْسٌ ومن عِرفانِهِ شُومُ

رِجْسٌ ومن عِرفانِهِ شُومُ

From his face comes ill luck, and from nearness to him

From his face misfortune, and from his nearness

filth; and from knowing him comes ill fortune.

Wickedness, and from his acquaintance evil

لا تَهتضِمْ إن بتَّ ضَيفاً له

لا تَهتضِمْ إن بتَّ ضَيفاً له

فخُبزُهُ في الجوفِ هاضُومُ

فخُبزُهُ في الجوفِ هاضُومُ

Take no digestive if you spend the night as his guest;

Do not choke if he becomes your guest

for his bread is a digestive in the belly.

For his food in the gut is corrupted

تَكْلمهُ الأَلحاظُ من رقَّةٍ

تَكْلمهُ الأَلحاظُ من رقَّةٍ

فهْوَ بلحْظِ العَينِ مَكْلومُ

فهْوَ بلحْظِ العَينِ مَكْلومُ

Glances wound it, so thin is it;

His glances gently converse

so it is wounded by a glance of the eye.

Yet with the eye's glance he is blamed

لا تَأْتدِمْ شَيئاً على أَكلهِ

لا تَأْتدِمْ شَيئاً على أَكلهِ

فإنَّهُ بالجوعِ مَأدومُ

فإنَّهُ بالجوعِ مَأدومُ

Use nothing as a relish when eating it,

Do not blame anything for his eating

for it is seasoned with hunger.

For he with hunger is subdued