أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَنظَّرَ خالِدٌ

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَنظَّرَ خالِدٌ

عيادي على الهِجرانِ أَم هُوَ يائِسُ

عيادي على الهِجرانِ أَم هُوَ يائِسُ

Ah, would that I knew whether Khalid has been awaiting

Alas! Would that I knew if Khalid ever

My visit despite our estrangement, or whether he has lost hope.

Inquired after me in my absence, or if he despaired,

فَلَو أَنَّني كُنتُ السَليمَ لَعُدتَني

فَلَو أَنَّني كُنتُ السَليمَ لَعُدتَني

سَريعاً وَلَم تَحبِسكَ عَنّي الكَوادِسُ

سَريعاً وَلَم تَحبِسكَ عَنّي الكَوادِسُ

For had I been snake-bitten, you would have visited me

For had I been hale, you would have returned me

Swiftly, and no ill omens would have kept you from me.

Swiftly, and snares would not have kept you from me,

وَقَد أَكثَرَ الواشونَ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

وَقَد أَكثَرَ الواشونَ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

كَما لَم يَغِب عَن غَيِّ ذُبيانَ داحِسُ

كَما لَم يَغِب عَن غَيِّ ذُبيانَ داحِسُ

And the tale-bearers have made much mischief between me and him,

And the slanderers had multiplied between us

As Dahis was never absent from Dhubyan's folly.

As ghosts haunt not the valiant lion Dahis,

فَإِنّي عَلى ما كُنتَ تَعهَدُ بَينَنا

فَإِنّي عَلى ما كُنتَ تَعهَدُ بَينَنا

وَليدَينِ حَتّى أَنتَ أَشمَطُ عانِسُ

وَليدَينِ حَتّى أَنتَ أَشمَطُ عانِسُ

For I remain true to what you knew between us,

Yet I shall keep my vow between us,

From our boyhood until you are gray-haired and old.

And my religion, though you be a faithless rover,

لِشانِئِهِ طولُ الضَراعَةِ مِنهُمُ

لِشانِئِهِ طولُ الضَراعَةِ مِنهُمُ

وَداءٌ قَد أَعيا بِالأَطِبّاءِ ناجِسُ

وَداءٌ قَد أَعيا بِالأَطِبّاءِ ناجِسُ

For whoever among them hates him, lasting abasement,

To his detractor, long is his pleading with them,

And a malignant disease that has baffled the physicians.

A malady that wearied even the ablest healers.