فَعَلَت بِنا فِعلَ السَماءِ بِأَرضِهِ

خِلَعُ الأَميرِ وَحَقَّهُ لَم نَقضِهِ

She did to us as the sky does to its land

They worked upon us as the heavens work upon his land,

Neglecting the emir though it's his rightful due

The Emir's robes—though his due we have not yet repaid.

فَكَأَنَّ صِحَّةَ نَسجِها مِن لَفظِهِ

وَكَأَنَّ حُسنَ نَقائِها مِن عِرضِهِ

So that the soundness of its fabric seems to stem from its phrase

As if the perfection of their weave were spun from his speech,

And the beauty of its purity seems to stem from its honor

And the beauty of their purity were drawn from his honor.

وَإِذا وَكَلتَ إِلى كَريمٍ رَأيَهُ

في الجودِ بانَ مَذيقُهُ مِن مَحضِهِ

And if you entrust a generous man with his opinion

For if you entrust a noble man to his own judgment,

His taste in generosity appears from his pure origin

In generosity, the pure milk is distinguished from the watered.