Ode LXXVII: Say not, when thou hast not

Say not, when thou hast not in mind to fulfil thy promise, ' Yes ' !

A fair word is ' Yes ' after ' No ' : but an ugly word is ' No ' after ' Yes '.

Ay, ' No ' after ' Yes ' is unseemly indeed : therefore begin with ' No ' when thou fearest to repent ;

And when thou hast said 'Yes', then abide by it, and give thy word fulfilment : to break a promise will surely bring blame ;

And know that blame is a loss to the man of mark : if he shields himself not against blame, it falls upon him.

I honour the stranger and regard his right : acknowledgement of what is due is true nobility in a man.

Thou shalt not see me in an assembly greedily devouring the flesh of men like a ravening beast of prey.

The worst of all men is he who smiles upon me when he meets me, and when I am absent, spends his time in reviling me.

Many the evil speech to which my ear has been deaf ; and yet there is in me no hardness of hearing ;

And I bear it patiently, for fear lest the fool should think that I am really as he said.

And in sooth some turning away of the face and ignoring of the evil-speaker is the safest thing, even though he be a wrong-doer.

Verily Khalid acted generously in respect of Sha's, after there had beset him a grievous calamity

From the Fates that bring on a man troubles one by one — they hasten to seize the shape of flesh and blood.

[Khalid's] platter is full, his generosity is of the foremost : his session is seemly, no place of buffets ;

He makes his process of giving a rich abundance : yea, to spend part of one's possessions in defence of one's honour is a just economy ;

He cares not, being happy of soul therein, for the perishing of his wealth, so his honour be safe.