أُريدُ قِطعَةَ قِرطاسٍ فَتُعجِزُني

وَجُلَّ صَحبِيَ أَصحابُ القَراطيسِ

A sheet of paper can defeat me,

I seek a mere scrap of paper, yet it eludes my grasp,

While all my friends have reams of paper;

Though the bulk of my companions are masters of the scroll.

لَحاهُمُ اللَهُ مِن وُدٍّ وَمَعرِفَةٍ

إِنَّ المَياسيرَ مِنهُم كَالمَفاليسِ

May God spare them out of love and care,

May God shame them for such friendship and acquaintance;

Though they are wasteful like spendthrifts.

For the wealthy among them are just like the penniless.