لي صديق لا أراه

قبَّحَ اللهُ لقاه!

I have a friend I never see—

may God make meeting him hateful!

مخلفُ الميعادِ لا يَعـ

ـرفٌ قولُ الحقِّ فاه

A breaker of promises—never does

his mouth know the words of truth.

إن يعدْني، فكما وا

عد عُرقوبٌ أخاه

If he promises me, it is just like

ʿUrqūb’s promise to his brother.

آه لو كنتُ أرى وجـ

ـهك، يا عبَّاس، آه!

Ah, if only I could see

your face, Abbas—ah!

طالَ بالشَّمس انتظاري

لك حتى قلت: تاه!

Long has my waiting in the sun

for you dragged on, until I said, “He has lost his way!”

أين سيارتُك العر

جَاءٌ، يا شيخَ النحاه؟

Where is your car—the lame

one, O sheikh of grammarians?

كيف لم تَلحَق بها من

حملتهُ قدماه؟

How did you fail to catch up with it—you

whom your own two feet carried?