أَخٌ لِيَ مَستورُ الطِباعِ جَعَلتَهُ

مَكانَ الرِضى حَتّى اِستَقَلَّ بِهِ الوُدُّ

A brother of mine, of hidden nature, you have made

Him, in place of contentment, until intimacy was established with him

وَتَحتَ الرِضى لَو أَن تَكونَ خَبَرتَهُ

وَدائِعُ لا يَرضى بِها الهَزلُ وَالجَدُّ

And beneath contentment, if you were to know him

There are secrets that neither jest nor earnestness would accept

لَعَمرِيَ لَيسَت صَفَقَةُ المَرءِ تَنطَوي

عَلى ذَمِّ شَيءٍ كانَ أَوَّلَهُ حَمدُ

By my life, the dealing of a man does not contain

Blame for something, whether its beginning was praise

فَأَعطِ الرِضى كُلَّ الرِضى مَن خَبَرتَهُ

وَقِف بِالرِضى عَنهُ إِذا لَم يَكُن بُدُّ

So give complete contentment to whoever you know

And desist from blaming him, if there is no alternative