ليت شعري عن خليلي ما الذي — أبو الأسود الدؤلي

لَيتَ شِعري عَن خَليلي ما الَّذي

غالَهُ في الحُبِّ حَتّى وَدَعَهُ

Would that I knew, concerning my dear friend, what it was that

Beset him in love until he forsook it.

لا تُؤاخِ الدَهرَ جِبساً راضِعاً

مُلهَبَ الشَدِّ سَريعَ المَنزَعَه

Never befriend a base, miserly coward,

Fiery in his rush, swift to withdraw.

ما يَنَل مِنكَ فَأَحلى مَغنِمٍ

وَيَرى ظَرفاً بِهِ أَن يَمنَعَه

Whatever he gains from you is the sweetest booty,

And he deems it clever on his part to withhold it.

يَسأَلُ الناسَ وَلا يُعطيهِمُ

هَبِلَته أُمُّه ما أَجشَعَه

He begs from people, yet gives them nothing.

May his mother be bereaved of him—how greedy he is!

حَقِّقِ القَولَ إِذا ما قُلتَهُ

واحذَرَن مَخزاتَهُ في المَجمَعَه

Make good your word whenever you utter it,

And beware its disgrace in the assembly.

لا تُهِنّي بَعدَ إِكرامِكَ لي

فَشَديدٌ عادَةٌ مُنتَزَعَه

Do not humiliate me after honoring me;

For it is painful to have a habit torn away.

لا يَكُن بَرقُكَ بَرقاً خُلَّباً

انَّ خَيرَ البَرقِ ما الغَيثُ مَعهُ

Let your lightning not be lightning that brings no rain;

Indeed, the best lightning is that accompanied by rain.

لا تَشوبَنَّ بِحَقٍّ باطِلاً

إِنَّ في الحَقِّ لِذي الحَقِّ سَعَه

Do not mingle falsehood with truth;

Indeed, in truth there is ample room for one who is in the right.

أَطِلِ الصَمتَ إِذا ما لَم تُسَل

إِنَّ في الصَمتِ لِأَقوامٍ دَعَه

Prolong your silence whenever you are not asked;

Indeed, in silence there is repose for some people.

رُبَّ ماشٍ بِحَديثٍ قالَهُ

لا يَضُرُّ المَرءَ أَن لا يَسمَعَه

Many a man goes about with a tale he has told;

It does a man no harm not to hear it.