لي صاحِبٌ لا يَجْتَني

منه مصاحبُهُ ثَمَرْ

I have a friend whose company bears me no fruit.

I advised him and made excuses for him,

ناصحتُهُ وَحَمَلْتُ عنْهُ

فما أثابَ وَلا شَكَرْ

Yet he neither rewarded nor thanked me.

His peers suffer with him always, while one who strays prospers.

يَشْقَى به قُرَنَاؤُهُ

أبداً ويسعَدُ مَنْ شَطَرْ

You see him honor one who keeps away, while he forgets those near.

He is like the sun that makes those close suffer from its heat,

وتراه يُكْرِمُ من نَأَى

عنه ويَغْفُلُ مَنْ حَضَرْ

While it brings joy to those who view it from afar.

كالشّمْسِ تَنْحَسُ سادَنَا

منها وتَسْعَدُ بالنَّظَرْ