وإخوان سوء لا يسرُ إخاؤهم

وإخوان سوء لا يسرُ إخاؤهم

رضوا لي بتسليم العدو المكاشر

رضوا لي بتسليم العدو المكاشر

And friends of ill character—their friendship brings no joy;

And bad companions, whose fellowship brings no joy,

they deem a snarling enemy’s greeting good enough for me.

deem a grinning foe's greeting enough for me.

إذا ما التقينا أحضروني سؤالهم

إذا ما التقينا أحضروني سؤالهم

وإن غبت فالتسآل لي غير حاضر

وإن غبت فالتسآل لي غير حاضر

Whenever we meet, they bring forth their questions;

Whenever we meet, they have inquiries ready for me;

but when I am absent, no asking after me is forthcoming.

but when I am absent, no inquiry about me is forthcoming.

يودّونني ما لم يكن لي حاجة

يودّونني ما لم يكن لي حاجة

إليهم وداد المقبل المتضافر

إليهم وداد المقبل المتضافر

They show me affection so long as I have no need

They love me so long as I have no need

of them—the love accorded the fortunate, well-supported man.

of them, with the affection of an eager, supportive ally.

فإن عرضت لي حاجة عرضوا لها

فإن عرضت لي حاجة عرضوا لها

بعذر بخيل أو بتقطيب واتر

بعذر بخيل أو بتقطيب واتر

But should a need of mine arise, they meet it

But if a need arises for me, they meet it

with a miser’s excuse or a hostile scowl.

with a miser's excuse or a foe's scowl.

هم كتماثيل الهياكل خيرها

هم كتماثيل الهياكل خيرها

فقيد ويأبى فقدها لحظ ناظري

فقيد ويأبى فقدها لحظ ناظري

They are like statues in temples: the best of them

They are like temple statues: their goodness

is one that is absent—yet my eye cannot bear their absence.

is absent, though my eyes deny their absence.

متى هلكوا لم أبتئس بفجيعة

متى هلكوا لم أبتئس بفجيعة

وإن هم بقوا عاشوا بأشأم طائر

وإن هم بقوا عاشوا بأشأم طائر

If ever they perish, I shall not mourn the loss;

Should they perish, I will not grieve at the calamity;

and if they remain, they live beneath the most ill-omened bird.

and if they live on, may they live under the most ill-omened bird.

سواء علينا قربهم وبعادهم

سواء علينا قربهم وبعادهم

وسيّان هم عندي وأهل المقابر

وسيّان هم عندي وأهل المقابر

Their nearness and their distance are all the same to us;

Their nearness and their distance are alike to us;

to me, they and the dwellers in graves are alike.

and to me, they and the dwellers in graves are the same.