أَلا يا بنَ أَبي المَج

دِ وَصَرَّحتُ فَما أَكني

Alas, O son of Abu Majd, you offered

A promise from you I did not expect

تَبَرَّعتَ بِوَعدٍ مِن

كَ لَم يَجرِ عَلى ظَنّي

To fulfill, so little it was worth

In value and weight.

بِإِنفاذٍ حَقيرَ القَد

رِ وَالقيمَةِ وَالوَزنِ

Yet you broke your vow to me

Which does not undo what you built.

فَأخلَفتَ وَعَهدي بِ

كَ لا تَنقُضُ ما تَبني

And they said, “He is more generous

Than Qais and Ma’n.”

وَقالوا إِنَّهُ أَس

مَحُ مِن قَيسٍ وَمِن مَعنِ

When has a young man been generous

Who is stingy with straw?

مَتى يَسمَحُ بِالتِبرِ

فَتىً يَبخَلُ بِالتِبنِ