ألا رب مَن يغتابني ودَّ أنني

ألا رب مَن يغتابني ودَّ أنني

أبوه الذي يُدعى إليه ويُنسب

أبوه الذي يُدعى إليه ويُنسب

Lo, many a man who maligns me has wished I were

Alas, my Lord, he who slanders me wished

His father, by whose name he is called and to whom his lineage is traced,

That his father, to whom he is ascribed,

على رِشدةٍ من أمه أو لِغيَّة

على رِشدةٍ من أمه أو لِغيَّة

فيغلبها فحل على النسل مُنجب

فيغلبها فحل على النسل مُنجب

Through lawful union with his mother, or through an illicit one,

Was led by the whim of his mother, or the babble

So a sire who begets fine offspring would prevail over her in the progeny.

Of a foreigner, and so overcame her and begot him.

فبالخير لا بالشر فارجُ مودتي

فبالخير لا بالشر فارجُ مودتي

وأي امرئ يُقتال منه التَّرهب

وأي امرئ يُقتال منه التَّرهب

So hope for my affection through kindness, not malice;

So respond to me with good, not evil,

And from what man can fear be exacted?

And against any who harbor enmity towards me.

أقول وقد فاضت لعيني عَبرة

أقول وقد فاضت لعيني عَبرة

أرى الأرض تبقى والأخلاّء تذهب

أرى الأرض تبقى والأخلاّء تذهب

I say, as a tear wells from my eye:

I say, as tears pour from my eyes,

I see the earth endure, while dear friends pass away.

I see the earth remain as people pass away.

أخلاءِ لو غير الحِمام أصابكم

أخلاءِ لو غير الحِمام أصابكم

عتبت ولكن ما على الدهر مَعتب

عتبت ولكن ما على الدهر مَعتب

My friends, had anything but death befallen you,

If it were not for the doves, loss would have befallen you.

I would have reproached you—but there is no reproaching Time.

I complained, but the days are not to blame.

وكيف أرجِّي أن أَعيش وقد ثوى

وكيف أرجِّي أن أَعيش وقد ثوى

عَبيد وجَوّاب وقيس وجرعب

عَبيد وجَوّاب وقيس وجرعب

And how can I hope to live, when already laid to rest are

How can I hope to live now that Death has taken

ʿAbīd, Jawwāb, Qays, and Jarʿab?

Ubayd, Jawwab, Qays and Jarib?