أَلا مَنْ مُعِينِي عَلَى صَاحِبٍ

أَلا مَنْ مُعِينِي عَلَى صَاحِبٍ

جَرَعْتُ بِصُحْبَتِهِ الْعَلْقَمَا

جَرَعْتُ بِصُحْبَتِهِ الْعَلْقَمَا

Ah, who will help me against a companion

Alas! Who will help me against a friend

In whose company I have swallowed bitter colocynth?

Whose companionship has made me drink bitterness?

يَسُوءُ الْخَلِيلَ وَيُؤْذِي الْجَلِيـ

يَسُوءُ الْخَلِيلَ وَيُؤْذِي الْجَلِيـ

ـسَ وَيَأْنَفُ إِنْ زَلَّ أَنْ يَنْدَمَا

ـسَ وَيَأْنَفُ إِنْ زَلَّ أَنْ يَنْدَمَا

He distresses his friend and harms his companion,

He does his friend wrong and hurts his companion.

And, if he errs, is too proud to repent.

He is peevish if he is reproached and told to regret.

يَلُومُ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَنْبٍ جَرَى

يَلُومُ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَنْبٍ جَرَى

وَيَغْضَبُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَفْهَمَا

وَيَغْضَبُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَفْهَمَا

He blames though no offense has occurred,

He blames without cause and gets angry without reason.

And grows angry before he understands.

If I say “Gently!”, he twists his mouth.

فَإِنْ قُلْتُ مَهْلاً لَوَى شِدْقَهُ

فَإِنْ قُلْتُ مَهْلاً لَوَى شِدْقَهُ

وَإِنْ لَمْ أُجِبْ قَوْلَهُ بَرْطَمَا

وَإِنْ لَمْ أُجِبْ قَوْلَهُ بَرْطَمَا

So if I say, "Easy now," he twists the corner of his mouth,

If I do not respond to his words, he sulks.

And if I do not answer his words, he pouts.

He has follies that kill contentment

لَهُ جَهَلاتٌ تُمِيتُ الرِّضَا

لَهُ جَهَلاتٌ تُمِيتُ الرِّضَا

وَحُمْقٌ يَكَادُ يُسِيلُ الدِّمَا

وَحُمْقٌ يَكَادُ يُسِيلُ الدِّمَا

His foolish acts kill contentment,

And foolishness that almost sheds blood.

And his folly almost makes blood flow.

He obstinately persists in falsehood when confuted

يُكَابِرُ فِي الْحَقِّ إِنْ مَضَّهُ

يُكَابِرُ فِي الْحَقِّ إِنْ مَضَّهُ

وَلا يَدَعُ الظنَّ أَوْ يَأْثَمَا

وَلا يَدَعُ الظنَّ أَوْ يَأْثَمَا

He stubbornly disputes the truth if it pains him,

And does not abandon suspicion or refrain from sin.

And will not abandon suspicion until he sins.

So I find no comfort in him,

فَلا أَنَا مِنْهُ أَرَى رَاحَةً

فَلا أَنَا مِنْهُ أَرَى رَاحَةً

وَلا أَنَا عَنْهُ أَرَى مَنْسِمَا

وَلا أَنَا عَنْهُ أَرَى مَنْسِمَا

So I find no respite from him,

Nor do I find any joyous companion in him.

Nor do I see a path away from him.

My happiness has changed because of him into gloom

تَبَدَّلَ أُنْسِي بِهِ وَحْشَةً

تَبَدَّلَ أُنْسِي بِهِ وَحْشَةً

وَعَادَ نَهَارِي بِهِ مُظْلِمَا

وَعَادَ نَهَارِي بِهِ مُظْلِمَا

My intimacy with him has turned to estrangement,

And my day into darkness because of him

And through him my day has grown dark.

May God not have mercy on the day

فَلا رَحِمَ اللَّهُ يَوْماً جَرَى

فَلا رَحِمَ اللَّهُ يَوْماً جَرَى

عَلَيَّ بِهِ طَائِرَاً أَشْأَمَا

عَلَيَّ بِهِ طَائِرَاً أَشْأَمَا

So may God show no mercy to the day that passed

When he came to me bringing bad luck!

Over me, bearing him—a most ill-omened bird.