أحبابَنا عودوا علينا عَوْدَةً

أحبابَنا عودوا علينا عَوْدَةً

واجروا على نَسَقٍ مع الخُلصَانِ

واجروا على نَسَقٍ مع الخُلصَانِ

Beloved of ours, return to us once more,

Our beloved friends, return to us once more,

and follow the same course as faithful friends.

and keep a steady course with devoted friends.

فلربما نَزعَ الخليطُ إلى الحِمَى

فلربما نَزعَ الخليطُ إلى الحِمَى

وتداعَتْ الورْقاءُ للأفْنانِ

وتداعَتْ الورْقاءُ للأفْنانِ

Perhaps the departing companions may yearn for the homeland,

For often the companions have yearned for the protected pasture,

and the wood pigeon call the branches to one another.

and the gray dove has called out to the boughs.

فعلامَ وعدُكمُ استحالَ تمادياً

فعلامَ وعدُكمُ استحالَ تمادياً

والشوقُ لا وانٍ ولا متواني

والشوقُ لا وانٍ ولا متواني

Why, then, has your promise turned into endless delay,

Why, then, has your promise become prolonged delay,

while longing neither wearies nor grows slow?

while longing neither falters nor slackens?

إيهِ بعيشِكم فما حالَ الوَفا

إيهِ بعيشِكم فما حالَ الوَفا

من بعد ليّكمُ على الحدثانِ

من بعد ليّكمُ على الحدثانِ

Come—by your lives, what has become of fidelity,

Go on, by your lives: loyalty has not changed,

after all your evasion through time’s vicissitudes?

after your evasions in the face of time’s vicissitudes.

أمّا أنا فيدي نفضتُ عن المُنى

أمّا أنا فيدي نفضتُ عن المُنى

إِنْ كنَّ لا تفْضي إِلى استحسانِ

إِنْ كنَّ لا تفْضي إِلى استحسانِ

As for me, my hand has shaken itself free of hopes,

As for me, I have shaken my hand free of wishes,

if they lead to no pleasing end.

if they do not lead to approval.

لكنني ألوي الصديقَ إِلى الحجى

لكنني ألوي الصديقَ إِلى الحجى

ليَّ العِنانِ بمقْوَلي وبَناني

ليَّ العِنانِ بمقْوَلي وبَناني

Yet I would turn my friend toward sound reason,

But I steer my friend toward reason,

turning the reins with my words and my fingers.

as one turns the reins, with my tongue and fingers.

بعض التماسُكِ أيّها الخلُّ الذي

بعض التماسُكِ أيّها الخلُّ الذي

مَدّ الجناحَ وهَمَّ بالطيرانِ

مَدّ الجناحَ وهَمَّ بالطيرانِ

Hold fast a little, O friend who

A little self-restraint, O friend who

spread his wing and was about to fly.

has spread his wing and thought of flying.

قاطعْتَ من بعدِ التواصلِ بُرْهةً

قاطعْتَ من بعدِ التواصلِ بُرْهةً

وصدفتَ عن شتّى من العِرفانِ

وصدفتَ عن شتّى من العِرفانِ

After our communion, you broke away awhile,

You broke off relations for a while after fellowship,

and turned from every form of kindness.

and turned away from varied forms of gratitude.

ورعيتها هَمَلاً وما بالعهد مِن

ورعيتها هَمَلاً وما بالعهد مِن

قِدَمٍ وجُدتَ ولستَ بالخَوّان

قِدَمٍ وجُدتَ ولستَ بالخَوّان

You left the bond to wander untended, though the covenant

And you tended it carelessly, though the pledge has no

was long-standing; you were generous, and are no traitor.

age upon it; you were generous, and are no traitor.

خفّضْ عليك وعد إلى شِيَمِ الوفا

خفّضْ عليك وعد إلى شِيَمِ الوفا

فالودُّ محمودٌ بكلِّ لِسانِ

فالودُّ محمودٌ بكلِّ لِسانِ

Take it gently, and return to the ways of fidelity:

Go easy on yourself, and return to the ways of loyalty,

affection is praised by every tongue.

for affection is praised by every tongue.

ما هكذا شِيمُ الكرامِ وإِنّها

ما هكذا شِيمُ الكرامِ وإِنّها

أمَمٌ وحَسْبُكَ شاهد الإِدغانِ

أمَمٌ وحَسْبُكَ شاهد الإِدغانِ

Such are not the ways of noble men; those ways

Such are not the ways of the noble; they

lie near at hand—and concealed rancor is witness enough.

are near at hand; the evidence of hidden rancor is enough for you.

فاقصر بعيشكَ واعتقلها حِكْمَةً

فاقصر بعيشكَ واعتقلها حِكْمَةً

فالمرْءُ بالخُلَصَاءِ والخلاّنِ

فالمرْءُ بالخُلَصَاءِ والخلاّنِ

So desist, by your life, and grasp this as wisdom:

So desist, by your life, and hold this as wisdom:

a man is sustained by faithful friends and companions.

for a man is sustained by devoted friends and companions.

لا تَجْحَدَنَّ على الصديقِ حقوقَهُ

لا تَجْحَدَنَّ على الصديقِ حقوقَهُ

هُوَ أوّل وهيَ المَحلّ الثَاني

هُوَ أوّل وهيَ المَحلّ الثَاني

Never deny a friend his rights:

Never deny a friend his rights:

he is the first, and she holds the second place.

he comes first, and his rights come second.