وَقُلنَ وَقَد يَكذِبنَ فَيكَ تَعَيَّفٌ
وَشُؤمٌ إِذا ما لَم تُطَع صاحَ ناعِقُه
They say - and they may lie - so beware
Ill omens come if their barking spokesman's not obeyed
فَأَعيَيتَنا لا راضِياً بِكَرامَةٍ
وَلا تارِكاً شَكوى الَّذي اَنتَ صادِقُه
You’ve wearied us, neither pleased with generosity
Nor ceasing to complain, though you’re the truthful one
وَأَدرَكتَ صَفوَ الوُدِّ مِنّا فَلُمتَنا
وَلَيسَ لَنا ذَنبٌ فَنَحنُ مَواذِقُه
You’ve attained the quintessence of love from us, so blame us
Though we’ve done no wrong - we just tasted it
وَأَلفَيتَنا سِلماً فَصَدَّعتَ بَينَنا
كَما صَدَّعَت بَينَ الأَديمِ خَوالِقُه
You found us at peace and caused dissent between us
As the seam splits the leather, though its stitches held it closed
يُرَجِّعُ في حَيزومِهِ غَيرَ باغِمٍ
يَراعاً منَ الأَحشاءِ جوفاً هَنابِقُه
He brings it back in his throat if he's not downcast
A bellyful from the entrails - his gullet distended
إِذا ما رَمى قَصدَ المَلا لَحِقَت بِهِ
عَلاةٌ كَمِرداةِ القِذافِ تُراشِقُه
If he aims at the chief, missiles keep pace with him
Like the slingstones from the thrower's pouch pursuing him
يُجرِّرُ سِربالاً عَلَيهِ كَأَنَّهُ
سَبِيُّ هِلالٍ لَم تُخَرَّق شَرانِقُه
He drags behind him a train like a crescent moon
Whose banners none has ripped, its flagpoles unbroken
إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَبذُل مِنَ الوُدِّ مِثلَما
بَذَلتُ لَهُ فَاِعلَم بِأَنّي مُفارِقُه
When a man doesn't give as much affection as I gave him
Let him know that I shall leave him
وَلا خَيرَ في وُدِّ اِمرِئٍ مُتَكارِهٍ
عَلَيهِ وَلا في صاحِبٍ لا تُوافِقُه
No good in the love of one who's forced to show it
Nor in a friend who doesn't match you
إِذا المالُ لَم يوجِب عَلَيهِ عَطاءهُ
صَنيعَةُ قُربى أَو صَديقٌ توامِقُه
If money doesn't oblige him to be generous
Either through family duties or a like-minded comrade
مَنَعتَ وَبَعضُ المَنعِ حَزمٌ وَقُوَّةٌ
فَلَم يَفتَلِذكَ المالَ إِلّا حَقائِقُه
You refused out of caution and firmness combined
Money allures only according to its realities
إِذا ما أَفادَ المالَ أَودى بِفَضلِهِ
حُقوقٌ فَكُرهُ العاذِلاتِ يُوافِقُه
When wealth brings benefit, its surplus creates
Rights - and the hostile one correspondingly agrees
وَيَرفَعُ نَصلَ السَيفِ عَن كَعبِ ساقِهِ
وَلَو أَطوَلَ القَينُ الحَمائِلَ عاتِقُه
And lifts the sword-hilt clear of his ankle-bone
Though, were the scabbard longer, it would reach his shoulder
فَبورِكَ ما أَعطى اِبنُ لَيلى بِنِيَّةٍ
وَصامِتُ ما أَعطى اِبنُ لَيلى وَناطِقُه
Bless what Leyla's son gave with good intent
And what Leyla's son gave in silence matches it
