أَقولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي

شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذو الوَجدِ الأَليمِ

I say to my friend, and one who shares my woe,

Like a man in pain complaining of his pain:

إِلى الأَخَوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما

تَأَوَّبَهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمومِ

To two brothers like them, when cares besiege him

And sleepless worries his repose restrain:

لِحَيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقيتُ ظُهراً

بِأَعلى النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ

"A while ago, at fortune's height superb,

I rode a camel that excelled the steeds of Thamim's strain

فَلَمّا أَن بَدا لِلعَينِ مِنها

أَسيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ

But when her charms unveiled before my eyes,

A rill of tears flowed down in copious rain,

وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ

كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجيدُ ريمِ

With languid lids, and cheeks gashed deep, a mouth

Pouting like paired Sirius when the Dogstar's bane,

حَنا أَترابُها دوني عَلَيها

حُنوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى سَقيمِ

Her friends, not I, stood near her, stooping o'er her,

As stoops a nurse to whom an infant clings in vain,

عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ

وَلَكِن بِاِلغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ

With necks unadorned: they lived a life of want,

Not luxury and delight and joy's bright reign."