كَسيت وَلَم املك سَواداً وَتَحتَهُ

قَميصُ من القوهي بيض بنائِقه

I was clad in black, though I owned no black attire; and underneath it

was a shirt of Qūhī cloth, its gussets white.

وَما ضَرَّ أَثوابي سَوادي وَإِنَّني

لكا لمسك لا يَسلو عَن المِسكِ ذائِقه

My blackness did no harm to my clothes; indeed, I

am like musk—whoever savors musk never turns from it.

وَلا خَير في وُدِّ امرىء مُتَكارِه

عَلَيكَ وَلا في صاحِبِ لا تُوافِقُه

There is no good in the affection of a man who gives it grudgingly

to you, nor in a companion with whom you are not in accord.

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَبذُل من الوُدِّ مِثلُهُ

بِعاقِبَة فَاِعلَم بِأَنَّني مُفارِقُه

If a man does not offer affection equal to yours,

then in the end, know that I shall part from him.

فَان شِئتَ فَاِرفُضهُ فَلا خَير عِندَهُ

وَإِن شِئتَ فَاِجعَلهُ خَليلا تصادِقه

If you wish, cast him off—for no good is to be found with him;

or, if you wish, make him a bosom friend and meet him in friendship.