معي صاحباً صِدْقٍ إذا مِلْتُ مَيْلَةً

وكانَ بِدَفَّيْ نِضْوَتي عَدَلاني

I have a true friend, when I incline

He straightens me with his justice and care

أَلاَ أَيُّها العرّافُ هل أَنتَ بائعي

مكانَكَ يوماً واحداً بمكاني

Oh you, the diviner! Would you sell

Your place for a day for my place?

أَلسْتَ تراني لا رأيتَ وَأَمْسَكَتْ

بِسَمْعِكَ رَوْعاتٌ من الحَدَثانِ

Do you not see me, though you did not see

Whispers grasped your hearing from the youth

فيا عَمٌ يا ذا الغَدْرِ لا زِلْتَ مُبْتلّي

حليفاً لِهَمٍّ لازمٍ وهَوانِ

Oh man, oh you of betrayal, you remained

Ally to constant anxiety and disgrace

غَدَرْتَ وكانَ الغَدْرُ مِنْكَ سَجِيَّةً

فَأَلْزَمْتَ قلبي دائمَ الخفقانِ

You betrayed, and betrayal was your habit

So you condemned my heart to constant throbbing

وَأَوْرَثْتَني غَمَّاً وكَرْباً وحَسْرَةً

وأَوْرَثْتَ عيني دائمَ الهَمَلانِ

And caused me sorrow, anguish and regret

And caused my eye constant anxiety

فلا زِلْتَ ذا شوقٍ إلى مَنْ هَويتَهُ

وقلبُكَ مقسومٌ بِكُلِّ مكانِ

You still have passion for your beloved

While your heart is divided in every place

وإِنّي لأَهْوى ما يَزْعُمُ النّاسُ بَيْنَنا

وعفراءَ يومَ الحَشْرِ مُلْتَقِيانِ

And I love what people claim between us

And on Judgement Day we shall meet

وإِنَّا على ما يَزْعُمُ النّاسُ بَيْنَنَا

مِنَ الحبِّ يا عفرا لَمُهْتَجِرانِ

As for what people claim between us

Of love, oh Afara, we are estranged

تَحَدَّثَ أَصْحابي حديثاً سَمِعْتُهُ

ضُحَيّاً وأعناقُ المَطِيِّ ثَوانِ

My friends spoke words I overheard

In the morning as the riding camels knelt

فقلتُ لهم كلاّ وقالوا جماعةٌ

بلى والذي يُدْعى بكلِّ مكانِ

I said, "No!" But they said, "Yes, by Him

Who is called upon in every place."

أَلا يا غُرابَيّ دِمْنَةِ الدَّارِ بَيِّنا

أَبِالصَّرْمِ من عفراءَ تَنتحبانِ

Oh ravens of the abode, make clear

Do you wail over Afara at the burial grounds?

فَإِنْ كانَ حقّاً ما تقولانِ فَاذْهَبا

بِلَحْمي إلى وَكْرَيْكُما فَكُلاني

If what you both say is true, then take

My flesh to your dens and eat me

إِذَنْ تَحْمِلا لَحْماً قليلاً وأَعْظُماً

دِقاقاً وقَلْباً دائمَ الخَفَقانِ

Then you will carry little flesh but great

Brittle bones and a heart that throbs

كُلانيَ أَكْلاً لم يَرَ النّاسُ مِثْلَهُ

ولا تَهْضِما جَنبيَّ وَازْدَرِداني

Eat me in a way no people have seen

Do not digest my side, but tear me apart

ولا يَعْلَمَنَّ النّاسُ ما كانَ مِيْتَتي

ولا يَطْعَمَنَّ الطَّيْرُ ما تَذَرانِ

And let not people know how I died

Nor birds taste what you both leave