هَل كانَ عِندَ المُديحِ عِلمٌ

هَل كانَ عِندَ المُديحِ عِلمٌ

بَمن يُدِيخُ الذي أَداخا

بَمن يُدِيخُ الذي أَداخا

Did praise have any knowledge

Did he who praises know who his praise stuns,

of who lays low the one who laid others low?

of whom nothing remains but tales

لَم يبقَ منهُ سِوى حديثٍ

لَم يبقَ منهُ سِوى حديثٍ

في حيثُ ما سارَ أَو أَناخا

في حيثُ ما سارَ أَو أَناخا

Nothing remains of him but a tale,

of wherever he goes or stays?

wherever he traveled or made camp.

Many nights his ears were struck

كم قَرعَت سَمعَهُ اللّيالي

كم قَرعَت سَمعَهُ اللّيالي

بكلِّ وعظٍ فما أَصَاخا

بكلِّ وعظٍ فما أَصَاخا

How often the nights struck his ears

with admonishments, yet he never listened.

with every admonition, yet he did not listen.

His singing was haunted by loneliness,

أَوحشَ مغناهُ بَعدَ أُنسٍ

أَوحشَ مغناهُ بَعدَ أُنسٍ

لمَّا خَبا سَعدُهُ وَباخا

لمَّا خَبا سَعدُهُ وَباخا

His dwelling grew desolate after fellowship,

when his bliss failed and turned to ash.

when his good fortune dimmed and died down.

He turned to thieves, to austere lands,

ولَّى على غُلّةٍ وبَرحٍ

ولَّى على غُلّةٍ وبَرحٍ

وأَسلَمَ الباردَ النُّقاخا

وأَسلَمَ الباردَ النُّقاخا

He departed in burning thirst and anguish,

and gave himself up to the piercing cold winds.

and left the cool, pure water behind.