وَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن تَخشُّعِ ذي الحِجى

وَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن تَخشُّعِ ذي الحِجى

لِذي مِنَّةٍ يَزَوَرُّ لِلؤمِ جانِبُهُ

لِذي مِنَّةٍ يَزَوَرُّ لِلؤمِ جانِبُهُ

And death is surely better than a wise man's self-abasement

Death is better than abasing oneself before the froward

Before a benefactor who turns aside out of baseness.

To him who, when he confers a boon, eyes askance the receiver's side;

لَهُ كُلّ يَومٍ نَزحَةٌ وَغَضاضَةٌ

لَهُ كُلّ يَومٍ نَزحَةٌ وَغَضاضَةٌ

إِذا ما اِنزَوى أَنفُ اللَئيمِ وَحاجِبُهُ

إِذا ما اِنزَوى أَنفُ اللَئيمِ وَحاجِبُهُ

For him, each day brings estrangement and humiliation

Who sees, each day, defects in thee and counts them to thee in despite,

Whenever the base man's nose wrinkles and his brow furrows.

When the base man scowls and draws his brows together in angry plight.