أَصبَحَ الخَيفُ بَعدَ نُعمٍ خَواءً

أَصبَحَ الخَيفُ بَعدَ نُعمٍ خَواءً

فَثَبيرٌ فَبَلدَحٌ فَحِراءُ

فَثَبيرٌ فَبَلدَحٌ فَحِراءُ

Al-Khayf has become desolate after Nu'm,

The abode has become desolate after bounties,

and Thabir, and Baldah, and Hira.

Barren, desolate, empty.

أَصبَحَت دارُها مَسيرةَ شَهرٍ

أَصبَحَت دارُها مَسيرةَ شَهرٍ

ذاكَ لِلقَلبِ فِتنَةٌ وَعَناءُ

ذاكَ لِلقَلبِ فِتنَةٌ وَعَناءُ

Her home has become a month's journey away;

Her home has become a month's journey,

that is a trial and suffering for the heart.

That is an affliction and grief for the heart.

وَأَستَحَبُّوا دُوني البِلاط فَسَلعاً

وَأَستَحَبُّوا دُوني البِلاط فَسَلعاً

فَقُباءً وَأَينَ مِنّي قُباءُ

فَقُباءً وَأَينَ مِنّي قُباءُ

And they preferred al-Balat to me, then Sal',

They have preferred others over me as merchandise,

then Quba—and how far Quba is from me!

So they sold me. Where is loyalty to me?

لَيتَ نُعماً دَنَت بِها اليَومَ دارٌ

لَيتَ نُعماً دَنَت بِها اليَومَ دارٌ

لَيتَ شِعري أَكلُّ هذا جَفاءُ

لَيتَ شِعري أَكلُّ هذا جَفاءُ

If only a dwelling brought Nu'm near today!

If only bounties had brought today a home close by,

If only I knew—is all this estrangement?

I wonder, is this total estrangement?

فَلَقَد قُلتُ إِذ تَوَلَّت وَصَدَّت

فَلَقَد قُلتُ إِذ تَوَلَّت وَصَدَّت

ذاكَ وَاللَهِ لِلفُؤادِ شَقاءُ

ذاكَ وَاللَهِ لِلفُؤادِ شَقاءُ

For I did say, when she turned away and kept aloof:

When she turned away and was aloof,

That, by God, is misery for the heart.

By God, that was misery for the heart.

أَنتِ يا نُعمُ شَقوَةٌ عَرَضَت لِي

أَنتِ يا نُعمُ شَقوَةٌ عَرَضَت لِي

بِئسَ حَظّاً مِنَ الكَريمِ الشَقاءُ

بِئسَ حَظّاً مِنَ الكَريمِ الشَقاءُ

You, O Nu'm, are a misfortune that befell me;

O bounties, you have brought me misery,

misery is a wretched lot from the generous one.

Wretched is the fate of estrangement from the generous one.