أَيا طَلحَةُ قَد كُنتَ

عَلى خَيرٍ مِنَ الخيرِ

O Talha, you were

Of the best of the best

تَرى حَقَّ بَني عَمِّ

كَ أَمراً غَيرَ تَقصيرِ

You saw the truth of your paternal cousins

As a matter other than negligence

وَما تَنفَكُّ مَشغولاً

بِتَقليبِ الدَنانيرِ

And you were constantly preoccupied

With flipping dinars

فَأَصبَحتَ تَحَوَّلتَ

إِلى بَيعِ القَواريرِ

So you have turned

To selling flasks

كَذاكَ الدَهرُ مَطوِيٌّ

عَلى الناسِ بِتَغييرِ

Thus is the fate of the world

Changing upon people with change

فَبِعني قَفَصاً مِنكَ

بِألفٍ غَيرَ مَنزورِ

So sell me a cage from you

For a thousand undiminished

ثَلاثينَ وَسِتّينَ

وَعَشراً غَيرَ تَمصيرِ

Thirty and sixty

And ten without reduction

فَخُذها كَالمَصابيحِ

عَلى أَيدي المَعاصيرِ

Take them like lanterns

In the hands of revellers

سَريحَينِ مِنَ الدُرِّ

وَمِن ياقوتِ حَزّورِ

Two chrysolites

And from ruby of Hazzour

يُضيءُ البَيتَ وَالدارَ

وَأَجوافَ المَطاميرِ

It lights up the house and the homes

And the depths of graves

وَنِعمَ العَينُ لِلناظِ

رِ في ظَلماءِ دَيجورِ

And blessed is the eye of the onlooker

In the darkness of night

أَيا طَلحَةُ قَصَّرتَ

وَلا أَرضى بِتَقصيرِ

O Talha, you fell short

And I am not pleased with falling short

أُحِبُّ النائِلَ السَهلَ

وَأَقلي كُلَّ مَعسورِ

I love the easy attainer

And make easy every one in difficulty

فَشِن نَفسَكَ أَو زِنها

فَإِنَّ البُردَ بِالنيرِ

So exert yourself or weigh yourself

For the yoke is known by the ox