دع الفكرَ في أمري فقدْريَ لا يفي

بحَملك يوماً فيَّ عبءَ المفكِّرِ

Let go of thinking of my affair, for my fate is not alleviated

By your worrying about me with the burden of the thinker

ولا تتكلفْ لي التكاليفَ إنني

مَليءٌ بِعُذْر النائل المتعذر

And do not take pains for me with difficulties, for I

Am full of the excuse of the attainer made difficult

ولستُ كممنوع يرى العذر علةً

ولا طالب يسراً بإرهاق معسِرِ

And I am not like one forbidden who sees the excuse as a fault

Nor a seeker of ease with a distressing strain

لك العذرُ مبسوطاً وحُقَّ لمن يَرى

ملام مُليمٍ أن يرى عذر مُعذِرِ

For you is the excuse spread open, and the right of one who sees

A gentle reproacher, to see the excuse of the excuser

ولكن إذا ما عاد في العُود ماؤهُ

فأورِقْ لِمُستذْري ذَراكَ وأَثمِرِ

But if its water returns in going and coming

Then bloom for the apologizer your leaves and bear fruit

هي ابنةُ حُرٍّ زُوِّجَتْ منكَ حُرّةً

فإن مُهِرَتْ مهراً رغيباً فأَجدرِ

She is the daughter of a freeman married to you a free woman

So if she was dowered with a desirable dower, be generous

وإلا فحسبي أن أصون كريمتي

بِكُفءٍ كريمٍ مثلك ابنَ مُدبّرِ

Or else it suffices me to protect my noble woman

With a noble match like you, son of the regulator

كفانيَ مهراً بالكفاءة إنها

هي المهر للمتمهّر المتخيرِ

Her parity suffices me as dower, for it

Is the dower for the dowered, the choosy

ولو مَهَرَ الأحماءُ صِهراً لكنتَهُ

ولم تَغْلُ بالدنيا على متَكَثِّرِ

And if the protectors dowered a brother-in-law, you would be him

And would not favor the world over the content

وأنتَ بأن تُحْبَى على أن قَبلْتَها

أحقُّ ولكنَّا ظلمناك فاغفرِ

You have the right, by loving her, to accept her

More rightfully, but we wronged you, so forgive