مَائِدَةُ الفَضْلِ عَلَى بُخْلِهِ

أَحْسَنُ مِنْ زهْرَةِ بُسْتَانِهِ

The Table of Virtue

Is lovelier than his garden in flower

يُخْضِرُ فِيْهَا كُلِّ مَا يُشْتَهَى

مِنْ طَيِّبٍ فِي غَيْرِ إِبَّانِهِ

Bearing whatever fruits the heart desires—

Choice delicacies in abundance for all.

لَكِنَّهُ يَمْنَعُ أَضْيَافَهُ

مِنْهَا فَيُبْقِيْهَا لِغِلْمَانِهِ

Yet to his guests he denies them, keeping them

Only for his slave boys and servants

فَهُمْ يَفُوزُونَ بِحَلْوَائِهِ

وَمُسْتَبِدُّونَ بِحُمْلاَنِهِ

So they may feast on his sweetmeats

And gorge themselves on his fruits,

ثُمَّتَ يَخْلُونَ بِتَمْزِيْقِ مَا

ضَنَّ بِهِ مِنْهُ لإِخْوَانِهِ

Then gleefully tear to bits and destroy

What he grudgingly spared even his brothers,

فَلاَ يُبْقُونَ عَلَى رَغْمِهِ

شَيْئَاً لأُنْثَاهُ وَصِبْيَانِهِ

Leaving nothing for his women and babes.

Ceaselessly they spite and provoke him,

وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ يُزِنُّونَهُ

عِلْمَاً بِمَا قَدْ بَانَ مِنْ شَانِهِ

For they know well what has come to pass.