رُبَّ رِفْدٍ وإنْ تكاثرَ عدّاً
قَلَّ من فَرطِ كَثرةٍ التَّردادِ
Many a gift, though multiplied in number,
Has dwindled through excessive, repeated delay.
إنما الجُودُ كالحياةِ ولكنْ
يَعتريها السَّقامُ بالميعادِ
Generosity is like life itself—but
Sickness overtakes it when it is deferred to a promised date.
وسؤالُ الأحرار من غير خَلْفٍ
ثمنٌ للنَّدى من الأجْوادِ
And asking the noble, with no promise broken,
Is the price one pays for bounty from the generous.
Sol 5.6