خِصاؤُكَ خَيرٌ مِن زَواجِكَ حُرَّةً

فَكَيفَ إِذا أَصبَحتَ زَوجاً لِمومِسِ

Your bachelorhood is better than your free marriage,

So how could it be when you become the husband of a prostitute?

وَإِنَّ كِتابَ المَهرِ فيما اِلتَمَستَهُ

نَظيرُ كِتابِ الشاعِرِ المُتَلَمِّسِ

And the book of marriage payment, as you sought it,

Is like the book of a feeling poet.

فَلا تُشهِدَنَّ فيهِ الشُهودَ وَأَلقِهِ

إِلَيهِم وَعُد كَالعائِرِ المُتَشَمِّسِ

So do not make the witnesses testify in it,

And make a promise to them like a wily beggar.

وَلُبسُكَ ثَوبَ السَقمِ أَحسَنُ مَنظَراً

وَأَبهَجُ مِن ثَوبِ الغَويِّ المُنَمِّسِ

And wearing the garb of illness is more becoming in appearance,

And more radiant than the garb of a seduced libertine.

وَإِنَّكَ أَن تَستَعمِلَ العَقلَ لا يَزَل

مَبيتُكَ في لَيلٍ بِعَقلِكَ مُشمِسِ

And indeed if you use reason, your night will not cease to be

Spent in a night with your reason sunny.