إِنّي لِما سُمتَ لَرَكّابُ

وَلِلَّذي تَمزُجُ شَرّابُ

Though they name you my companion

Indeed, I am ready to ride whatever burden you impose,

And you who mixes my drink

And of whatever cup you mix, I am a willing drinker,

لا عائِفاً شَيئاً وَلَو شيبَ لي

مِن يَدِكَ العَلقَمُ وَالصابُ

I don't blame you at all, even if grey hairs come to me

Rejecting nothing, even if there were blended for me,

From your hands that punch and hit

By your own hand, the colocynth and bitterest gall.

ما حَطَّكَ الواشونَ عَن رُتبَةٍ

عِندي وَلا ضَرَّكَ مُغتابُ

The slanderers haven't lowered your status

The slanderers have not lowered you a single rank

In my eyes, nor has the criticizer harmed you

In my esteem, nor has a backbiter caused you harm.

كَأَنَّما أَثنَوا وَلَم يَشعُروا

عَلَيكَ عِندي بِالَّذي عابوا

It's as if they praised without realizing

It is as if they offered praise, though unaware,

The one they found fault with in me

Commending you to me through the very faults they blamed.

وَأَنتَ لي أَيضاً كَذا قُدوَةٌ

لَستُ بِشَيءٍ مِنكَ أَرتابُ

And you too, are thus an example

For you remain, to me, a model of such trust,

I'm not at all doubtful about you

That I view nothing coming from you with suspicion.

فَكَيفَ يُعيِينا التَلاقي وَما

يَعدَمُنا شَوقٌ وَأَطرابُ

So how does meeting tire us when

How then can our meeting so elude us, when we

We are not lacking desire and agitation

Are not bereft of longing or the thrill of love?

كَأَنَّما أَنتَ وَإِن لَم تَكُن

تَكذُبُ في الميعادِ كَذّابُ

It's as if you, even if you aren't

It is as though you are—even if not by nature

A liar regarding the appointment

False in your promises—a liar regarding our trysts.

إِن جِئتُ لَم تَأتِ وَإِن لَم أَجِئ

جِئتَ فَهَذا مِنكَ لي دابُ

If I come, you don't, and if I don't come

If I arrive, you do not come; yet if I do not come,

You come, so this is a habit of yours with me

You then appear; this has become your constant way with me.