1. إِنَّ الطَويلَ وَقَد قَلَّت حَلاوَتُهُ

    وَراحَ غَيرِ مَليحِ الشَخصِ مَقدودِ

    Indeed, the tall man, with his charm diminished,

    and now no handsome, shapely figure,

  2. لَعِندَ إِكذابِ أَنصافِ الظُنونِ إِذا

    عَنَّت وَإِخلافِ أَنصافِ المَواعيدِ

    is surely there to belie half one's expectations when

    they arise, and to break half his promises.

  3. ما كانَ طولُكَ إِلّا غَيظَ مُصطَنِعٍ

    بُرداً وَكَلّاً عَلى حَفّارِ مَلحودِ

    Your height has been nothing but a vexation to one fashioning

    a cloak, and a burden to the digger of a grave.

  4. ظَنَنتَ أَنَّكَ بِالأَلفِ الَّتي جَشِمَت

    يَداكَ مِن بَعدِ تَعسيرٍ وَتَنكيدِ

    You thought that, with the thousand grudgingly given

    by your hands after much obstruction and vexation,

  5. فارَقتَ في البُخلِ أَهلَ البُخلِ مُنفَصِلاً

    عَنهُم وَشارَكتَ أَهلَ الجودِ في الجودِ

    you had parted from the miserly in their miserliness, breaking away

    from them, and joined the generous in generosity.