بأَيِّ الخُلتَينَ عَلَيكَ أُثنِني

فَإِنّي عِندَ مُنصَرِفي مَسولُ

With which of the two companions shall I praise you,

When I am about to bid farewell and depart?

أَبا الحُسنى وَلَيسَ لَها ضِياءٌ

فَمَن هذا يُصَدِّقُ ما أَقولُ

O father of beauty - but beauty has no brilliance -

Then who will believe what I say?

أَمِ الأُخرى وَلَستُ عَلى صَديقي

بِذي عَجَلٍ إِذا لاحى عَجولُ

Or the other - yet I cannot rely on a friend

Who is fickle, and rushes heedlessly away.