أَفِق إِنَّ ظُلمَ الدَهرِ غَيرُ مُفيقِ

أَفِق إِنَّ ظُلمَ الدَهرِ غَيرُ مُفيقِ

وَإِنَّ رَفيقَ البَثِّ شَرُّ رَفيقِ

وَإِنَّ رَفيقَ البَثِّ شَرُّ رَفيقِ

Come to your senses: time's injustice never relents,

Awake, for the injustice of fate does not sleep

And sorrow's companion is the worst companion.

And the companion of affliction is the worst companion

تَشَعَّبُ بي مُستَأنَفاتُ فُنونِهِ

تَشَعَّبُ بي مُستَأنَفاتُ فُنونِهِ

طَريقاً إِلى الأَشجانِ غَيرَ طَريقي

طَريقاً إِلى الأَشجانِ غَيرَ طَريقي

Its ever-renewed forms draw me aside,

Its diverse arts branch out within me

Along a road to sorrows other than my own.

A path to sorrows, not my path

فَنَفسي فَريقا قِسمَةٍ أَغفَلَ الهَوى

فَنَفسي فَريقا قِسمَةٍ أَغفَلَ الهَوى

فَريقاً وَأَودى شُغلُهُ بِفَريقِ

فَريقاً وَأَودى شُغلُهُ بِفَريقِ

So my soul is split in two: love neglected

My soul in halves; passion neglected one

One part, and its preoccupation brought ruin to the other.

And busied him another half

وَفي كَبِدي نارُ اشتِياقِ كَأَنَّها

وَفي كَبِدي نارُ اشتِياقِ كَأَنَّها

إِذا أُضرِمَت لِلبُعدِ نارُ حَريقِ

إِذا أُضرِمَت لِلبُعدِ نارُ حَريقِ

And in my liver burns a fire of longing, as though it,

In my liver, a fire of longing as though

When kindled by separation, were a raging blaze.

When kindled by separation, a blaze of ruin

لِذِكرى زَمانٍ بانَ مِنّا بِنَضرَةٍ

لِذِكرى زَمانٍ بانَ مِنّا بِنَضرَةٍ

وَعَيشٍ مَضى بِالرَقَّتَينِ رَقيقِ

وَعَيشٍ مَضى بِالرَقَّتَينِ رَقيقِ

At the memory of a time that left us in its bloom,

For the memory of days that shone on us

And a gentle life that passed in the two Raqqas.

With delicate living, gone with gentleness

كَتَمتُكَ لَم أُخبِركَ عَن ذُلِّ عاشِقٍ

كَتَمتُكَ لَم أُخبِركَ عَن ذُلِّ عاشِقٍ

تَمادى بِهِ وَجدٌ وَدَلَّ عَشيقِ

تَمادى بِهِ وَجدٌ وَدَلَّ عَشيقِ

I kept it from you; I did not tell you of a lover's abasement,

I kept from you, did not tell you of a lover's woe

Whom longing and a beloved's coquetry drove ever further.

Fervor persisted, passion languished

وَإِنّي بَريءٌ مِن وِدادِ أَصادِقٍ

وَإِنّي بَريءٌ مِن وِدادِ أَصادِقٍ

وِدادُهُمُ بِالغَيبِ غَيرُ صَدوقِ

وِدادُهُمُ بِالغَيبِ غَيرُ صَدوقِ

And I disavow the affection of friends

And I am innocent of the love of false friends

Whose affection in my absence is not sincere.

Their hidden affection untrue

شَبيهانِ إِحساني بِهِم وَإِساءَتي

شَبيهانِ إِحساني بِهِم وَإِساءَتي

وَمِثلانِ بِرّي عِندَهُم وَعُقوقي

وَمِثلانِ بِرّي عِندَهُم وَعُقوقي

My kindness to them and my ill-treatment are alike;

My kindness to them like my harshness

And my devotion and my disloyalty are equal in their eyes.

And my dutifulness like their disobedience

أَقولُ وَخَلّى صاحِبايَ إِرادَتي

أَقولُ وَخَلّى صاحِبايَ إِرادَتي

وَقَد سَلَكا بِالأَمسِ غَيرَ طَريقي

وَقَد سَلَكا بِالأَمسِ غَيرَ طَريقي

I say, my two companions having left me to my choice,

I speak and my companions have forsaken my will

And having taken a road other than mine yesterday:

And yesterday walked not my path

خُذاني عَلى ميماسِ حِمصِ فَإِنَّني

خُذاني عَلى ميماسِ حِمصِ فَإِنَّني

إِلى خِلِّيَ الحِمصِيِّ جِدُّ مَشوقِ

إِلى خِلِّيَ الحِمصِيِّ جِدُّ مَشوقِ

Take me, you two, by Mimas of Homs, for I

Take me to the boulevards of Homs, for I

Am deeply yearning for my dear friend from Homs.

Pine for my friend of Homs intensely

أُشاقُ عَلى العَهدِ القَديمِ وَأَبتَغي

أُشاقُ عَلى العَهدِ القَديمِ وَأَبتَغي

زِيادَةُ قُربٍ مِنهُ وَهوَ لَصيقي

زِيادَةُ قُربٍ مِنهُ وَهوَ لَصيقي

I yearn, true to our old bond, and seek

I yearn for the olden days and seek

Greater nearness to him, though he is my inseparable companion.

More intimacy though we are close

يَطولُ بِكَفٍّ في السَماحَةِ طَلقَةٍ

يَطولُ بِكَفٍّ في السَماحَةِ طَلقَةٍ

وَوَجهٍ إِلى المُستَرفِدينَ طَليقِ

وَوَجهٍ إِلى المُستَرفِدينَ طَليقِ

He excels with a hand open in generosity,

With open hand in generosity lavish

And a face welcoming to those who ask for aid.

And face to the needy gentle

لَهُ حَسَبٌ في الأَفدَمينَ مُقَدَّمٌ

لَهُ حَسَبٌ في الأَفدَمينَ مُقَدَّمٌ

وَنابِهُ فَخرٍ في الفَخارِ عَتيقِ

وَنابِهُ فَخرٍ في الفَخارِ عَتيقِ

He has an honored lineage, foremost among the Afdamin,

Of noble stock among the chiefs foremost

And illustrious glory, ancient among glories.

His family pride ancient treasures

مَتى اختُبِرَ الفِتيانُ عَن حَملِ مَغرَمٍ

مَتى اختُبِرَ الفِتيانُ عَن حَملِ مَغرَمٍ

فَمِن عاجِزٍ عَن آدِهِ وَمُطيقِ

فَمِن عاجِزٍ عَن آدِهِ وَمُطيقِ

Whenever young men are tested in bearing a financial burden,

When the youth were tested with passionate undertaking

Some cannot bear its weight, and some can.

He was not helpless, but capable

وَجَدتُ شَقيقَ الجودِ دونَهُمُ أَبا

وَجَدتُ شَقيقَ الجودِ دونَهُمُ أَبا

عَلِيٍّ عَلى عِلّاتِهِ اِبنِ شَقيقِ

عَلِيٍّ عَلى عِلّاتِهِ اِبنِ شَقيقِ

I found generosity's twin, apart from them, in Abu

I found the bestower near to me, not them

Ali—despite his troubles—ibn Shaqiq.

My cousin Ali, scion of a brother

فَتىً لِدَنِيِّ الأَمرِ جِدُّ مُباعِدٍ

فَتىً لِدَنِيِّ الأَمرِ جِدُّ مُباعِدٍ

وَبِالخُلُقِ المَرضِيِّ جِدُّ خَليقِ

وَبِالخُلُقِ المَرضِيِّ جِدُّ خَليقِ

A young man who keeps far away from base conduct,

A man who spurns base matters utterly

And is eminently worthy of admirable character.

And in pleasing manners utterly refined

أَعُدُّ بِهِ ذُخري لِيُسري وَعُسرَتي

أَعُدُّ بِهِ ذُخري لِيُسري وَعُسرَتي

وَمُعتَصَري في فَرجَتي وَمَضيقِ

وَمُعتَصَري في فَرجَتي وَمَضيقِ

I count him my treasure in prosperity and hardship,

Him I count my reserve in hardship and ease

And my refuge in ease and narrow straits;

And my confidante in relief and straits

وَأَدنى بَني عَمّي إِلَيَّ وَإِنَّما

وَأَدنى بَني عَمّي إِلَيَّ وَإِنَّما

دُنُوُّ اِبنِ عَمّي أَن يَكونَ صَديقي

دُنُوُّ اِبنِ عَمّي أَن يَكونَ صَديقي

And the nearest of my cousins to me; for

The nearest of my cousins to me, indeed

A cousin's nearness lies only in his being my friend.

The nearness of a cousin is to be a friend