لي راتبٌ لم يرضَ عبدي به

لي راتبٌ لم يرضَ عبدي به

داءٌ له الحرمانُ عندي دوا

داءٌ له الحرمانُ عندي دوا

I have a regular allowance with which my slave was not content;

My pay that did not please my slave

An ailment whose cure, to my mind, is deprivation.

The cure for it with me is to give

والشيءُ مهما قلَّ مقدارُهُ

والشيءُ مهما قلَّ مقدارُهُ

كان العطا والمنعُ فيه سوا

كان العطا والمنعُ فيه سوا

And when a thing is small in amount,

And whatever small the thing may be

Giving and withholding it are the same.

Giving and withholding it are the same