وَكُنتَ أَخي بِالدَّهر حَتّى إِذا نَبا

وَكُنتَ أَخي بِالدَّهر حَتّى إِذا نَبا

نبوتَ فَلَمّا عادَ عُدتَ مَعَ الدَّهر

نبوتَ فَلَمّا عادَ عُدتَ مَعَ الدَّهر

You were my brother in good times, until fortune turned hostile;

You were my brother through time, until when you prophesied,

You turned hostile too; then, when it returned, you returned with fortune.

Yet when fates turned, you turned with time.

فَلا يَومَ إِقبال عددتُك طائِلا

فَلا يَومَ إِقبال عددتُك طائِلا

وَلا يَومَ إِدبار عَددتك من وِتري

وَلا يَومَ إِدبار عَددتك من وِتري

So on a day of prosperity I never counted you of any use,

So neither on days of glory did I count you as a boon companion,

Nor on a day of adversity did I count you among my grievances.

Nor on days of misery did I count you as my own flesh.

وَما كُنتَ إِلّا مِثلَ أَحلام نائِم

وَما كُنتَ إِلّا مِثلَ أَحلام نائِم

لَدى حالَتَيك من وَفاء وَمن غَدر

لَدى حالَتَيك من وَفاء وَمن غَدر

And you were only like a sleeper’s dreams,

You were but like dreams of a slumberer,

In both your states—of loyalty and of treachery.

In your two states of loyalty and betrayal.