تَعِستُ فَما لَي مِن وَفاءٍ وَلا عَهدِ

تَعِستُ فَما لَي مِن وَفاءٍ وَلا عَهدِ

وَلَستُ بِأَهلٍ مِن أَخِلّايَ لِلوُدِّ

وَلَستُ بِأَهلٍ مِن أَخِلّايَ لِلوُدِّ

May I come to grief! I have no loyalty and keep no pledge.

I am wretched, for I have no loyalty or pact,

And I am unworthy of affection from my close friends.

Nor am I one to cherish affection or friendship.

وَلا أَنا راعٍ لِلإِخاءِ وَلا مَعي

وَلا أَنا راعٍ لِلإِخاءِ وَلا مَعي

حِفاظٌ لِذي قُربٍ لَعَمري وَلا بُعدِ

حِفاظٌ لِذي قُربٍ لَعَمري وَلا بُعدِ

Nor do I safeguard brotherhood, nor have I

I am no keeper of kinship, nor one who remembers

loyal regard for anyone near, by my life, or far.

A friend, neither near nor far, for my life.

وَلا أَنا في حُكمِ الوِدادِ بِمُنصِفٍ

وَلا أَنا في حُكمِ الوِدادِ بِمُنصِفٍ

وَلا صادِقٍ فيما أُؤَكِّدُ مِن وَعدِ

وَلا صادِقٍ فيما أُؤَكِّدُ مِن وَعدِ

Nor am I fair in matters of friendship,

I have no sense of loyalty or justice in affection,

nor truthful in the promises I solemnly affirm.

Nor am I true to my strongly sworn vows.

وَلا لِيَ تَميِيزٌ وَلَستُ بِمُهتَدٍ

وَلا لِيَ تَميِيزٌ وَلَستُ بِمُهتَدٍ

سَبيلاً يُؤَدّي في التَصافي إِلى القَصدِ

سَبيلاً يُؤَدّي في التَصافي إِلى القَصدِ

Nor have I discernment, nor am I guided to

I have no discernment, and I am no guided one,

a path that leads, in sincere friendship, to what is right.

To a path that leads rightly and directly to the goal.

وَلا فِيَّ خَيرٌ يَرتَجيهِ مَعاشِري

وَلا فِيَّ خَيرٌ يَرتَجيهِ مَعاشِري

وَلا أَنا ذو فِعلٍ سَديدٍ وَلا رُشدِ

وَلا أَنا ذو فِعلٍ سَديدٍ وَلا رُشدِ

Nor is there good in me for my companions to hope for,

In me there is no good that my companions hope for,

nor do I possess sound conduct or good judgment.

No righteous deed, no rectitude.

وَلا واصِلٌ مَن غابَ عَنّي نَسيتُهُ

وَلا واصِلٌ مَن غابَ عَنّي نَسيتُهُ

وَإِن وَصَلَ الإِخوانُ كافَأتُ بِالصَدِّ

وَإِن وَصَلَ الإِخوانُ كافَأتُ بِالصَدِّ

Nor do I keep in touch; whoever is away from me, I forget him.

If an absent one forgets me, I do not keep in touch.

And if my friends keep in touch, I repay them with rejection.

If friends visit, I repay them with coldness.

وَإِن كاتَبوني لَم أُجِبهُم بِلَفظَةٍ

وَإِن كاتَبوني لَم أُجِبهُم بِلَفظَةٍ

فَهَذي خِلالٌ قَد خُصِصتُ بِها وَحدي

فَهَذي خِلالٌ قَد خُصِصتُ بِها وَحدي

And if they write to me, I do not answer them with a word.

If they write to me, I do not answer with even a word -

These, then, are traits with which I alone have been singled out.

These are the flaws particular to me alone.

كَأَنّي إِذا بانَ الصَديقُ عَدُوُّهُ

كَأَنّي إِذا بانَ الصَديقُ عَدُوُّهُ

وَحينَ أُلاقيهِ فَأَطوَعُ مِن عَبدِ

وَحينَ أُلاقيهِ فَأَطوَعُ مِن عَبدِ

It is as though, when my friend departs, I am his enemy,

I am as if, when a friend becomes an enemy,

and when I meet him, I am more obedient than a slave.

I obey him more than a servant.

وَما ذاكَ أَنّي زائِلٌ عَن مَوَدَّةٍ

وَما ذاكَ أَنّي زائِلٌ عَن مَوَدَّةٍ

وَلا ناقِضٌ يَوماً لِعَهدٍ وَلا عَقدِ

وَلا ناقِضٌ يَوماً لِعَهدٍ وَلا عَقدِ

And that is not because I turn away from affection,

Yet it is not that I abandon affection

or ever break a pledge or covenant,

Or break a pact or covenant any day.

ولَكِنَّ طَبعاً لَيسَ لي فيهِ حيلَةٌ

ولَكِنَّ طَبعاً لَيسَ لي فيهِ حيلَةٌ

وَلا مَذهَبٌ في الهَزلِ عِندي وَلا الجِدِّ

وَلا مَذهَبٌ في الهَزلِ عِندي وَلا الجِدِّ

but because of a disposition over which I have no control,

But it is my nature; I have no resource

and I have no way out, in jest or earnest.

In jesting or earnest with me at all.

فَلِلناسِ مِن مِثلي إِذا كُنتُ هاكَذا

فَلِلناسِ مِن مِثلي إِذا كُنتُ هاكَذا

قَطوعاً مَنوعاً جافِياً مائِتا بُدِّ

قَطوعاً مَنوعاً جافِياً مائِتا بُدِّ

So people have, in place of someone like me, if I am thus—

So for the likes of me, when I am such,

forever cutting ties, withholding, aloof—two hundred alternatives.

Cut off, forbidden, aloof, rejecting intimacy,

وَلَو كانَ إِخواني إِذا ما قَطَعتُهُم

وَلَو كانَ إِخواني إِذا ما قَطَعتُهُم

يُجازونَ بِالهِجرانِ هَجراً وَبِالصَدِّ

يُجازونَ بِالهِجرانِ هَجراً وَبِالصَدِّ

And were my friends, whenever I cut them off,

If my brothers, when I cut them off, would reciprocate

to repay estrangement with estrangement and rejection,

With estrangement, aloofness for aloofness, coldness for coldness,

وَيَسلونَ عَن ذِكري وَلا يَحسَبونَني

وَيَسلونَ عَن ذِكري وَلا يَحسَبونَني

صَديقاً وَيولوني الجَفاءَ عَلى عَمدِ

صَديقاً وَيولوني الجَفاءَ عَلى عَمدِ

and cease to think of me, and no longer consider me

If they would forget my mention and not count me

a friend, and deliberately treat me with coldness,

A friend, and treat me with intentional coldness,

لَتُبتُ وَلَكِنّي بُليتُ بِمَعشَرٍ

لَتُبتُ وَلَكِنّي بُليتُ بِمَعشَرٍ

مِنَ السادَةِ الغُرِّ الكِرامِ ذَوي المَجدِ

مِنَ السادَةِ الغُرِّ الكِرامِ ذَوي المَجدِ

I would repent; but I have been afflicted with a company

I would repent. But I have been afflicted with company

of illustrious, generous nobles, men of glory.

Of generous noblemen, honorable, glorious.

فَقَد أَفسَدوني بِاِحتِمالِ تَلَوُّني

فَقَد أَفسَدوني بِاِحتِمالِ تَلَوُّني

وَكَثرَةِ تَغييري عَلى كُلِّ ذي وُدِّ

وَكَثرَةِ تَغييري عَلى كُلِّ ذي وُدِّ

For they have spoiled me by tolerating my fickleness

They have spoiled me by bearing with my fickleness

and my frequent changes toward every loving friend.

And my frequent changes with every intimate.

وَزادوا بِبَذلِ الصَفحِ عَن كُلِّ زَلَّةٍ

وَزادوا بِبَذلِ الصَفحِ عَن كُلِّ زَلَّةٍ

أَتَيتُ بِها وَالعَفوِ في كُلِّ ما أُبدي

أَتَيتُ بِها وَالعَفوِ في كُلِّ ما أُبدي

And they have spoiled me still more by pardoning every slip

They increased, by pardoning every fault

I commit, and forgiving all that I display.

I committed, and forgiveness for all I manifested.

فَما نَفَعَ التَوبيخُ مِن ذي مَوَدَّةٍ

فَما نَفَعَ التَوبيخُ مِن ذي مَوَدَّةٍ

وَلا لَومُهُ يُغني وَلا عَتبُهُ يُجدي

وَلا لَومُهُ يُغني وَلا عَتبُهُ يُجدي

So rebuke from an affectionate friend has done no good,

So neither admonishment from an intimate

nor does his blame avail, nor does his reproach help.

Availed, nor their blame profited, nor reproach helped.

فَمَن كانَ ذا صَبرٍ عَلى ما وَصَفتُهُ

فَمَن كانَ ذا صَبرٍ عَلى ما وَصَفتُهُ

فَقَد فازَ بِالأَجرِ الجَزيلِ وَبِالحَمدِ

فَقَد فازَ بِالأَجرِ الجَزيلِ وَبِالحَمدِ

So whoever has patience with what I have described

Whoever has patience for what I have described

has indeed won abundant reward and praise.

Has won abundant reward and praise.