لا دَرَّ دَرِّيَ إِن أَطعَمتُ نازِلَكُم
قِرفَ الحَتِيِّ وَعِندي البُرُّ مَكنوزُ
No harm in feeding you, though I find it distasteful,
When at home I have stores of grain piled up.
لَو أَنَّهُ جاءَني جَوعانُ مُهتَلِكٌ
مِن بُؤَّسِ الناسِ عَنهُ الخَيرُ مَحجوزُ
Had one who was starving and on the verge of death
Come to me, from a wretched life debarred from good,
أَعيا وَقَصَّرَ لَمّا فاتَهُ نِعَمٌ
يُبادِرُ اللَيلَ بِالعَلياءِ مَحفوزُ
He would have found me niggardly and stinting,
Urging my mount by night towards the highlands,
حَتّى يَجىءَ وَجِنُّ اللَيلِ يوغِلُهُ
وَالشَوكُ في وَضَحِ الرِجلَينِ مَركوزُ
Until the night patrol and gloom enfolded us
And the brushwood tore my feet and legs to shreds.
قَد حالَ دونَ دَريسَيهِ مُؤَوِّبَةٌ
نِسعٌ لَه بِعَضاهُ الأَرضِ تَهزيزُ
Thorns have come between me and my camp site,
A shuddering lion with legs splayed to rip the ground.
كَأَنَّما بَينَ لَحيَيهِ وَلَبَّتِهِ
مِن جُلبَةِ الجوعِ جَيّارٌ وَإَرزيزُ
Between my beard and temples, from the bitterness of hunger,
Is a long-drawn wheeze and rasping hiss.
لَباتَ أُسوَةَ حَجّاجٍ وَإِخوَتِهِ
في جَهدِنا أَو لَهُ شَفٌّ وَتَمزيزُ
He has the same exhaustion as Hajjaj and his brothers
From our exertions, unless for him some indulgence and sweetmeats.
يا لَيتَهُ كانَ حَظّي مِن طَعامِكُما
أَنّي أَجَنَّ سَوادي عَنكُما الجيزُ
Would that my share of victuals from both of you
Were enough to keep my greed away from you!
إِنَّ الهَوانَ فَلا يَكذِبكُما أَحَدٌ
كَأَنَّهُ في بَياضِ الجِلدِ تَحزيزُ
Truly, no man will gainsay you,
As though it showed white against the skin, the brand.
يا لَيتَ شِعري وَهَمُّ المَرءِ يُنصِبُهُ
وَالمَرءُ لَيسَ لَهُ في العَيشِ تَحريزُ
Would I knew why man's dreams raise him to hope
When man has no security at all in life.
هَل أَجزِيَنَّكُما يَوماً بِقَرضِكُما
وَالقَرضُ بِالقَرضِ مَجزِيٌّ وَمَجلوزُ
Shall I ever reward you for your loan
When a loan is requited by a loan agreed beforehand?
