لَئِن غَرَّني مِمّا تَسَربَلتَ رَنَقُ

لَئِن غَرَّني مِمّا تَسَربَلتَ رَنَقُ

وَجِئتُكَ مَلهوفاً فَضَجَّعتَ في أَمري

وَجِئتُكَ مَلهوفاً فَضَجَّعتَ في أَمري

Even if the murk of what you clothed yourself in deceived me,

If your finery has deceived me,

and I came to you distraught, yet you were remiss in my affair,

And though I came to you fervent with desire, you rendered me restless,

فَرُبَّ طَريقٍ يَركَبُ المَرءُ سَهلَهُ

فَرُبَّ طَريقٍ يَركَبُ المَرءُ سَهلَهُ

فَيَخرُجُهُ مِنها إِلى شَرِّ ما وَعرِ

فَيَخرُجُهُ مِنها إِلى شَرِّ ما وَعرِ

for many a road whose easy stretch a man travels

For many a road does a man mount with ease,

then leads him into the worst of rugged terrain.

Only to have it lead him out into the worst hardship,

فَلا يَفرَحَن بِالبَرقِ عِندَ وَميضِهِ

فَلا يَفرَحَن بِالبَرقِ عِندَ وَميضِهِ

أَخو ظَمَإٍ حَتّى يَرى غُرَّةَ القَطرِ

أَخو ظَمَإٍ حَتّى يَرى غُرَّةَ القَطرِ

So let him never rejoice at lightning when it flashes—

So let not the brother of thirst rejoice at the lightning's flash

the thirsty man—until he sees the first drops of rain.

Until he sees the rain clouds pour down their gift.