1. يا خَليلَيَّ لا أَذُمُّ زَماني

    غَيرَ أَنّي أَذُمُّ أَهلَ زَماني

    O my two friends, I do not blame my age;

    but I blame the people of my age.

  2. لَستُ أُحصي كَم مِن أَخٍ كانَ لي مِن

    هُم قَليلَ الوَفاءِ حُلوَ اللِسانِ

    I cannot count how many brothers I had among

    them, scant in loyalty, sweet of tongue.

  3. لَم أَجِدهُ مُؤاتِياً فَتَصَدَّق

    تُ بِحَظّي مِنهُ عَلى الشَيطانِ

    I did not find him accommodating, so I gave

    my share of him as alms to the devil.

  4. لَيتَ حَظِّيَ مِنهُ وَمِن مِثلِهِ أَن

    لا تَراهُ عَيني وَأَن لا يَراني

    Would that my lot with him and his like were that

    my eye should not see him, and he should not see me.

  5. أَحمَدُ اللَهَ كَيفَ قَد فَسَدَ النا

    سُ وَقَلَّ الوَفاءُ في الإِخوانِ

    I praise God—how corrupt people have become,

    and how scarce loyalty is among brothers.