1. تَدَيَّنَ مَغرِبيٌّ بِاِنتِحالٍ

    وَعارَضَ بِالتَنَحُّلِ مَشرِقِيُّ

    A Westerner professed religion through an assumed creed,

    and an Easterner countered with a feigned profession.

  2. فَصَمتاً إِن أَرَدتُم أَو مَقالاً

    فَما في هَذِهِ الدُنِّيا تَقِيُّ

    Then choose silence, if you wish, or speech,

    for no one in this world is pious.

  3. نَقاءُ لِباسِنا فيها كَثيرٌ

    وَلَيسَ لِأَهلِها عِرضٌ نَقِيُّ

    Our clothing in it is very clean,

    yet its people have no unblemished honor.

  4. وَإِن رُقِّيَ الفَتى رُتَبَ المعالي

    فَمِثلُ هُبوطِهِ ذاكَ الرُقِيُّ

    And even if a young man is raised to exalted ranks,

    that ascent is like his descent.

  5. وَيَحسَبُ بَعضُنا أَن قد أَتاهُ

    نَعيمٌ وَهوَ لَو يَدري شَقِيُّ

    And someone among us thinks that there has come to him

    bliss—yet he is wretched, if he only knew.

  6. وَأَعوَزَنا بَياضُ العَيشِ فيها

    وَلَم يُعوِز بَياضٌ مَفرِقِيُّ

    And the whiteness of life in it has eluded us,

    yet whiteness at the hair’s parting has not been lacking.