قل للفتى عِمْرانَ والرجل الذي

قل للفتى عِمْرانَ والرجل الذي

ما زال يحظف صحبتي واخائي

ما زال يحظف صحبتي واخائي

Say to the young man ʿImrān, and to the man who

Tell the young man ‘Imran and the man who

has always preserved my friendship and brotherhood:

Has continued to seek my companionship and brotherhood

حاشاك يا عمرانُ تنقض صحبتي

حاشاك يا عمرانُ تنقض صحبتي

وتضيعُ عهدَن محَبتي ووفائي

وتضيعُ عهدَن محَبتي ووفائي

Far be it from you, O ʿImrān, to break my friendship

Far be it from you, O ‘Imran, to break off our companionship

and squander the pledge of my love and loyalty.

And let our covenant of love and loyalty be lost

ووعدَتني بالخير شهراً كاملاً

ووعدَتني بالخير شهراً كاملاً

وقطعتَ بعد الشهر حبلَ رجائي

وقطعتَ بعد الشهر حبلَ رجائي

And you promised me good things for a whole month,

You promised me good for a full month

and after the month you severed the cord of my hope.

And after the month you cut off the rope of my hope

وبعثتَ نحوي شاعراً بمعاذرٍ

وبعثتَ نحوي شاعراً بمعاذرٍ

في رحْمِ أختِ الشعر والشعراء

في رحْمِ أختِ الشعر والشعراء

And you sent toward me a poet bearing excuses—

And you sent towards me a poet with excuses

In the womb of the sister of poetry and poets!

In the womb of the sister of poetry and poets

والله ما يثنُون عنك بمثل مَا

والله ما يثنُون عنك بمثل مَا

أثني ولا يهجون مِثلَ هجائي

أثني ولا يهجون مِثلَ هجائي

By God, they do not praise you as

By God, they do not praise you as I praise

I do, nor do they lampoon with satire like mine.

Nor do they censure as I censure you