قُلتُ لِغَلّاقٍ بِعَرنانَ ما تَرى

فَما كادَ لي عَن ظَهرِ واضِحَةٍ يُبدي

I said to a keeper with flowing hair, "What do you see?"

He could barely reveal to me anything clear.

تَبَسَّمَ كُرهاً وَاِستَبَنتَ الَّذي بِهِ

مِنَ الحَزَنِ البادي وَمِن شِدَّةِ الوَجدِ

He smiled reluctantly, and what he was feeling became apparent -

Grief showing through, and intense ardour.

إِذا المَرءُ أَغراهُ الصَديقَ بَدا لَهُ

بِأَرضِ الأَعادي بَعضُ أَلوانِها الرُبدِ

When someone is misled by a friend, it seems to him

In enemy territory, some of its bleakness.