رِياضُكِ غَيرُ دائِمَةٍ فَرَوضي
نَوافِلَ بَعدَ اِحكامِ الفُروضِ
Your gardens do not endure; my obligatory duties are
my voluntary devotions, once the ordinances of duty have been observed.
أَقارِضُكِ الشَهادَةَ غَيرَ بَرٍّ
كِلانا طاحَ في تِلكَ القُروضُ
I exchange testimony with you, though I am not sincere;
both of us have fallen into those reciprocal debts.
وَما يَأتيكَ بِالأَغراضِ خِلٌّ
وَلا شَدُّ الرَواحِلِ بِالغُروضِ
My friend does not come to you in pursuit of ulterior aims,
nor has he cinched the riding-camels with saddle-girths.
وَجِسمُ المَرءِ بِالأَغراضِ رَبعٌ
فَهَل زَكّاهُ تَزكِيَةَ العُروضِ
A person’s body is an abode for desires;
has he paid its zakat, as zakat is paid on merchandise?
مَغانيهِ مُحيلاتُ المَعاني
كَبَيتِ الشِعرِ قُطِّعَ بِالعَروضِ
Its chambers alter the meanings,
as a verse of poetry is divided into feet by prosody.
Sol 5.6