عَلامَ جُدتَ فَلَمّا خِفتَ موحِيَةً

تَعَقَّبَتكَ مِنَ البُخلِ العَقابيلُ

Why did you toil, but when you feared being blamed,

The chains of miserliness pursued you.

قَد قُلتَ خَيراً وَخَيرُ القَولِ أَصدَقُهُ

لَو كانَ مِنكَ بِفِعلٍ صُدِّقَ القيلُ

You spoke well, and the best speech is the most truthful,

If only your actions verified what was said.

عَلَّلتُموني وَعَقلي غَيرُ مُشتَرَكِ

وَلا تَقومُ لِذي العَقلِ التَعاليلُ

You blamed me, yet my mind is not to be blamed,

No reproaches stand against one with wisdom.

يا لَيتَ شِعري أَجاني نَفعَ خَيرِكُمُ

أَم غَوَّلَت خَيرُكُم مِن دونِيَ الغَولُ

Oh, would that I knew! Did your goodness profit me?

Or did your goodness pass me by, turned astray?