خليلٌ من الخِلّانِ أُصفيهِ خُلَّتي

خليلٌ من الخِلّانِ أُصفيهِ خُلَّتي

فأبدَي ليَ السرَّ الذي أنا كاتِمُهْ

فأبدَي ليَ السرَّ الذي أنا كاتِمُهْ

A friend among friends, to whom I give my sincerest friendship,

A trusted friend of mine I chose to confide in

then revealed to me the secret I conceal.

He revealed to me the secret I was hiding

ويحزُنُني طوراً وطوراً يسُرُّني

ويحزُنُني طوراً وطوراً يسُرُّني

مغانمُهُ طوراً وطوراً مغارمُهْ

مغانمُهُ طوراً وطوراً مغارمُهْ

At times I am saddened, and at times delighted—

He gladdens me at times and saddens me at others

by his gains at times, and at times by his losses.

His gains make me happy sometimes, and his losses make me sad

بُليتُ ببلوى والبلايا كثيرةٌ

بُليتُ ببلوى والبلايا كثيرةٌ

وكانتْ مُرجَّاةً لدينا مَقاوِمه

وكانتْ مُرجَّاةً لدينا مَقاوِمه

I was afflicted by a trial—and trials are many—

I have suffered much distress, and troubles are many

and we had hoped for his acts of support.

I wished for one who would stand by me against them

فلم أتخيَّرْ من ثقاتيَ غيرهُ

فلم أتخيَّرْ من ثقاتيَ غيرهُ

ولم أرَ أنِّي عند ذلك ظالمه

ولم أرَ أنِّي عند ذلك ظالمه

So I chose no one but him from those I trusted,

So I chose none but him from all my trusted friends

nor did I think I was wronging him in doing so.

For I saw no wrong in doing so at the time

وقال ليَ التأميلُ فيه ألا ادْعُهُ

وقال ليَ التأميلُ فيه ألا ادْعُهُ

لخطْبِكَ لا تَعظُمْ عليك عظائمه

لخطْبِكَ لا تَعظُمْ عليك عظائمه

And hope in him told me: 'Come, call upon him

And he advised me, do not call him

for your plight; its terrors will not weigh heavily on you.'

To your needs - do not think his burdens too great

فلم أتخيَّرْ بين يأْسٍ ومَطْمع

فلم أتخيَّرْ بين يأْسٍ ومَطْمع

ولا قلتُ جبسٌ باردُ القلبِ نائمه

ولا قلتُ جبسٌ باردُ القلبِ نائمه

So I did not choose between despair and hope,

So I did not choose between hope and despair

nor did I say: 'A worthless fellow, cold-hearted, with his heart asleep.'

Nor say, his heart is cold and asleep

فبكَّيته حيّاً كَمَيْتٍ فقدتُهُ

فبكَّيته حيّاً كَمَيْتٍ فقدتُهُ

وما الميْتُ إلا من تموتُ مكارمه

وما الميْتُ إلا من تموتُ مكارمه

So I mourned him alive, as a dead man I had lost,

I wept for him while alive as if he were dead and gone

and none is dead but one whose noble qualities die.

For the dead are those whose virtues die

فلا تَلْحَهُ يا ابنَ الكرامِ وأعْفِهِ

فلا تَلْحَهُ يا ابنَ الكرامِ وأعْفِهِ

فما لوْمُ من لم تَبْقَ إلا رمائمه

فما لوْمُ من لم تَبْقَ إلا رمائمه

So do not reproach him, O son of the noble, and spare him:

Do not blame him, o son of nobility, but forgive him

for what use is blaming one of whom only decayed remains are left?

For nothing remains of him but ruins

نعائي أبا يحيى إليك فإنَّهُ

نعائي أبا يحيى إليك فإنَّهُ

تداعتْ معانيهِ وبادتْ معالمه

تداعتْ معانيهِ وبادتْ معالمه

I announce Abu Yahya's death to you, for

I complain to you Abu Yahya about him

his qualities have crumbled, and his hallmarks have perished.

For his qualities have vanished and his traits faded

فخُذْ في مراثي من تبدَّلَ بالعُلا

فخُذْ في مراثي من تبدَّلَ بالعُلا

سَفالاً فما تُجدى عليكَ مَلاوِمه

سَفالاً فما تُجدى عليكَ مَلاوِمه

So take up elegies for one who exchanged nobility

So speak in your elegies of one who was exalted

for baseness; reproaching him will do you no good.

And is now degraded, so do not persist in blaming him

غدا خادماً للشُّحِّ والشُّحُّ ربُّه

غدا خادماً للشُّحِّ والشُّحُّ ربُّه

وعهدي به بالأمسِ والجودُ خادمه

وعهدي به بالأمسِ والجودُ خادمه

He has become a servant of avarice, and avarice is his master,

Tomorrow he will be a servant of greed, and greed is his lord

yet yesterday I knew him with generosity as his servant.

While yesterday generosity was his servant