رَأيتُكَ مَفقودَ المَحاسِنِ غابِراً

رَأيتُكَ مَفقودَ المَحاسِنِ غابِراً

مَعَ الناسِ في دَهرٍ فَقيدَ المَحاسِنِ

مَعَ الناسِ في دَهرٍ فَقيدَ المَحاسِنِ

I saw you, bereft of virtues, lingering

I saw you devoid of beauty, gloomy,

Among people in an age bereft of virtues.

Among people in an age devoid of beauty.

أَتَرجو المَطايا خَفضَ عَيشٍ وَلَذَّةٍ

أَتَرجو المَطايا خَفضَ عَيشٍ وَلَذَّةٍ

يُريحُ بُراها مِن مِراسِ المَراسِنِ

يُريحُ بُراها مِن مِراسِ المَراسِنِ

Do the mounts hope for ease of life and pleasure

Do you hope for comfort, easy living and pleasure

That would spare their nose-rings the strain of their muzzles?

While its thorns pierce the feet of the walker?

فَقَد سَئِمتُ خَوضَ الرِمالِ خِفافُها

فَقَد سَئِمتُ خَوضَ الرِمالِ خِفافُها

وَنَضحَ صَداها بِالمِياهِ الأَواسِنِ

وَنَضحَ صَداها بِالمِياهِ الأَواسِنِ

For I have wearied of their footpads wading through the sands,

I am tired of treading the soft sands,

And of slaking their thirst with stagnant waters.

And its echo sprinkled with slender streams.

فَيَومُ نَوىً قَصَّرنَ فيهِ عَنِ النَوى

فَيَومُ نَوىً قَصَّرنَ فيهِ عَنِ النَوى

وَيَومُ فِراسٍ دُسنَهُ بِالفَراسِنِ

وَيَومُ فِراسٍ دُسنَهُ بِالفَراسِنِ

So, a day of date-stones, when they fell short of their destination,

A day of purpose I fell short of purpose,

And a day of firas herbage, which they trampled with their footpads.

And a day of horsemanship its knights defeated me.

فَإِن لا يَكُن وَسنانَ حَظّي وَحَظِّها

فَإِن لا يَكُن وَسنانَ حَظّي وَحَظِّها

فَإِنَّ عَلَيهِ فَترَةَ المُتَواسِنِ

فَإِنَّ عَلَيهِ فَترَةَ المُتَواسِنِ

So, if my fortune and theirs are not drowsy,

If my fortune and hers are not united,

Then it has the languor of one who feigns sleep.

Then the estranged have a respite.

إِذا أَنتَ لم تُصبِح مِنَ الناسِ مُفرَداً

إِذا أَنتَ لم تُصبِح مِنَ الناسِ مُفرَداً

أَذِنتَ إِلى لاصٍ يَعيبُ وَلاسِن

أَذِنتَ إِلى لاصٍ يَعيبُ وَلاسِن

If you do not find yourself apart from other people,

When you do not rise above people in solitude,

You give ear to a faultfinding thief and a sharp-tongued disputant.

You permit a slanderer whose tongue faults people.