اُنظُر إِلى قُرَناءِ المَرءِ تَعرِفُهُ

بِهِم وَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَكشِفهُ عَن خَبَرِ

Look at a man's companions to know him

Though you have no news of him before.

فَلَستُ بِأَوَّلِ مَن فاتَهُ

عَلى إِربِهِ بَعضُ ما يَطلُبُ

I'm not the first one who missed

Some of what he sought from his loved one.

وَكائِن تَعَرَّضَ مِن خاطِبٍ

فَزُوِّجَ غَيرَ الَّتي يَخطِبُ

Many a suitor has tried

Yet she he sought was wed to another,

وَأُنكِحَها بَعدَهُ غَيرُهُ

وَكانَت لَهُ قَبلَهُ تُحجَبُ

And she was married after him to someone else

Though she was forbidden to him before.

وَكُنّا حَديثاً صَفِيَّينِ لا

نَخافُ الوُشاةَ وَما سَبَّبوا

We were close friends, sincere,

Fearing no slanderers and their schemes.

فَإِن شَطَّتِ الدارُ عَنّا بِها

فَبانَت وَفي الناسِ مُستَعتَبُ

But when the house parted us,

It was exposed, and blame fell on people.

وَأَصبَحَ صَدعُ الَّذي بَينَنا

كَصَدعِ الزُجاجَةِ ما يُشعَبُ

The rift between us now

Is like a crack in glass, unable to mend.

وَكَالدَرِّ لَيسَت لَهُ رَجعَةٌ

إِلى الضَرعِ مِن بَعدِ ما يُحلَبُ

Like a pearl, it has no way

Back to the oyster once taken out.