بِئسَ الشَهادَةُ إِذا سَأَلتَ شَهادَةٌ

يَرجو المُلاطِفُ قَرضَها وَقِراضَها

Wretched is the testimony when you ask for a testimony

The flatterer hopes for its loan and its borrowing

وَلِشَرُّ أَصحابِ الرِجالِ عِصابَةٌ

تُعطيكَ دونَ ثِيابِها أَعراضَها

And the worst of men's companions is a gang

That gives you its backs without its clothes

إِنَّ اللَيالِيَ ما تَصَرَّمُ عَنهُمُ

إِلّا لِتَبلُغَ فيِهُمُ أَغراضَها

Indeed the nights do not get old from them

Except to achieve their purposes in them

أَو ما رَأَيتَ جَنائِزاً مَحمولَةً

تَمشي الغُواةُ أَمامَها وَعِراضَها

Or have you not seen corpses being carried

While the wrongdoers walk in front of it and its biers

تَبغي مِنَ الآمالِ ذِلَّةَ مُسعِفٍ

تِلكَ المَصاعِبُ أَتعَّبَت مَن راضَها

It seeks from hopes the disgrace of a helper

Those difficulties made weary whoever satisfied them

بَكَرَ الطَبيبُ عَلى الدَواءِ وَلِلرِدى

كَأسٌ تَعُمُّ صِحاحَها وَمِراضَها

The doctor rushed to the medicine but for destruction

A cup whose maladies and diseases encompass its health