وصاحب لي لو حلَّت رزيتُهُ

وصاحب لي لو حلَّت رزيتُهُ

بالطير ما هتفت يوماً على فنن

بالطير ما هتفت يوماً على فنن

And a friend of mine—had the calamity of his loss befallen

And a friend of mine—had the grief of losing him befallen

the birds, not one would ever have sung upon a bough.

the birds, they would never have sung upon a bough.

عاشرته عشرة لو أنها وقعت

عاشرته عشرة لو أنها وقعت

بين الضحى والدجى سارا على سننِ

بين الضحى والدجى سارا على سننِ

I kept his company in a fellowship that, had it fallen

I shared with him a friendship that, had it arisen

between morning light and darkness, the two would have walked one path.

between morning light and night's darkness, they would have followed one course.

حتى إذا نلت سؤلي من مواهبه

حتى إذا نلت سؤلي من مواهبه

وصادني بشباك الوصل والمنن

وصادني بشباك الوصل والمنن

Until, when I attained my desire through his gifts,

Until, when I had attained my wish from his gifts

and he caught me in the nets of attachment and favor,

and he had ensnared me in the nets of companionship and favors,

ثكلته بعدما صارت محاسنه

ثكلته بعدما صارت محاسنه

في العظم واللحم سير الماءِ في الغصنِ

في العظم واللحم سير الماءِ في الغصنِ

I was bereft of him, after his virtues had become

I was bereaved of him, after his virtues had come to flow

within bone and flesh like water coursing through a branch.

through bone and flesh, as water flows through a branch.

يا دهرا ثكلتني حتى أبا الحسن

يا دهرا ثكلتني حتى أبا الحسن

لقد أمنت عليه غير مؤتمنِ

لقد أمنت عليه غير مؤتمنِ

O Time, you bereaved me—even of Abu al-Hasan;

O Time, you have bereaved me even of Abu al-Hasan!

I had thought him safe, though you were never to be trusted.

I had indeed entrusted him to one unworthy of trust.