لا تُخدَعنَّ فتصطفي لكَ صاحباً

شرَّ الورى نفساً وأخبثَ عنصرا

Do not be deceived and choose a companion for yourself

The evilest of souls and most wicked of natures

لَؤمَتْ مغارسُ أصلِه فتكدَّرتْ

نُطَفُ الاِخاءِ بمثلِه وتكدَّرا

The saplings of his origin bore bitter fruit

And the seeds of brotherhood soured like him and went bad

يُبدي لكَ الملق الشهي حديثه

وتراه صِلاً مِن ورائكَ أبترا

He shows you his eloquent speech

Yet you find him, behind your back, maimed

لا يأتلي بالأوابدِ قاصداً

طبع غدا لابن اللئيمة لمبكرا

He does not spend nights awake out of good intentions

A scoundrel's nature is one of early corruption

ومُطفلٍ سنحتْ في القاعِ ناشدةً

ظبياً لها ضلَّ بينَ الضّالِ والسَّمُرِ

And a sponger who begs in the valley, having lost

A gazelle amid the misguided and the night travelers

نأتْ نفاراً وداراً مشبهةٌ

ليلى وقد سُمْتُها وصلاً على غررِ

I come visiting, though the houses resemble

My Layla, whom I named and bid farewell over the graves