لَم يَدرِ ما قُلتُ مَسعودٌ فَضَيَّعَهُ
يا سَوأَتا مِن طِلابي جودَ مَسعودِ
Masʿūd did not grasp what I said, so he let it go to waste.
Oh, the shame of my seeking Masʿūd’s bounty!
وَقائِلٍ كَيفَ مَسعودٌ فَقُلتُ لَهُ
هُوَ الجَوادُ وَلَكِن فاسِقُ الجودِ
And to one who said to me, “What is Masʿūd like?” I replied:
He is munificent—but wanton in his giving:
غَيثُ الزَواني إِذا أَمسى بِعَقوَتِهِ
وَآفَةُ المالِ بَينَ الزِقِّ وَالعودِ
a raincloud for harlots when he passes the evening in his courtyard,
and the ruin of wealth, between the wineskin and the lute.
Sol 5.6