لَو لَم تَكُن دُنياكَ مَذمومَةٌ

ما أَولَعَ اللَهُ بِها الأَلسُنا

If your world were not blameworthy,

God would not have made tongues so fascinated by it.

ما أَحمَدُ الخَيرِيِّ فَألاً بِهِ

وَلا أَذُمُّ الوَردَ وَالسَوسَنا

Ahmad al-Khairi would not praise it to excess,

And I would not censure the rose and lily.

أَجهَلُ مِنّي رَجُلٌ يَبتَغي

عِندِيَ ما لَستُ لَهُ مُحسِنا

More ignorant than I is the man who seeks

From me what I am not disposed to grant him.

حُقَّ وَإِن كانَ أَخا صورَةٍ

في الإِنسِ أَن يُلجَمَ أَو يُرسَنا

It is right, even if he is but the likeness of a brother in humankind,

That he be reined in or held back.

وَأَن تُسَمّى رِجلُهُ حافِراً

في واجِبِ التَشبيهِ أَو فِرسِنا

And that his foot be called a hoof

In the duty of metaphor or horse.