أَظُنُّ الكُلَيبَ خانَني أَو ظَلَمتُهُ

أَظُنُّ الكُلَيبَ خانَني أَو ظَلَمتُهُ

بِبُرقَةِ حِلّيتٍ وَما كانَ خائِنا

بِبُرقَةِ حِلّيتٍ وَما كانَ خائِنا

I think al-Kulayb betrayed me—or I wronged him—

I think my dog has betrayed me or I have wronged him,

at Burqat Ḥillīt, though he was no traitor.

With the brightness of a necklace, yet he was no traitor,

وَأَعذِرُهُ أَنّي خَرُقتُ وَإِنَّما

وَأَعذِرُهُ أَنّي خَرُقتُ وَإِنَّما

لَقيتُ أَخا خِباً وَصودِفتُ بادِنا

لَقيتُ أَخا خِباً وَصودِفتُ بادِنا

And I excuse him, for I acted clumsily; it was simply that

And I excuse him, though I have ripped,

I met a man of guile, and he found me heavy-bodied.

I met an unfaithful brother and collided with an obstinate one.