رماكَ فأَصْماك اِمرؤٌ لم تكن له

رماكَ فأَصْماك اِمرؤٌ لم تكن له

رَمِيّاً ولم يخطرْ ببالك شأنُهُ

رَمِيّاً ولم يخطرْ ببالك شأنُهُ

A man shot you and killed you outright, though you had not been

A man attacked you though he was nothing to you,

his target, nor had his affairs crossed your mind.

Neither did you attack him, nor did you care for him.

وَلَو أَنّني حاذرتُهُ لكُفِيتُهُ

وَلَو أَنّني حاذرتُهُ لكُفِيتُهُ

وكم آمنٍ جانٍ عليه أمانُهُ

وكم آمنٍ جانٍ عليه أمانُهُ

Had I been wary of him, I would have been spared him.

Had I been wary of him, I would have restrained him,

And many a man feels safe, yet his own security harms him.

And how many a trusted friend turned into a foe!

فَإِنْ ساءَني منه الغداةَ مَغيبُهُ

فَإِنْ ساءَني منه الغداةَ مَغيبُهُ

لقد سرّني منه طويلاً غِيابُهُ

لقد سرّني منه طويلاً غِيابُهُ

So if his absence this morning has grieved me,

If he grieves me in the morn, his absence gives me joy at eve,

his absence has indeed delighted me for a long time.

Indeed, his long absence brought me comfort.

وإنْ كنتُ مكلوماً بعقدِ ضميرهِ

وإنْ كنتُ مكلوماً بعقدِ ضميرهِ

فإنّ شفاءً ما يقول لسانُهُ

فإنّ شفاءً ما يقول لسانُهُ

And though I am wounded by his heart’s resolve,

And if my conscience pains me for his sake,

what his tongue says is indeed a cure.

His tongue's speech brings no cure.

وَللموتُ خيرٌ للفتى من مذلَّةٍ

وَللموتُ خيرٌ للفتى من مذلَّةٍ

تنمُّ عليه أوْ هَوانٌ يُهانُهُ

تنمُّ عليه أوْ هَوانٌ يُهانُهُ

And death is surely better for a young man than abasement

For a young man, death is better than disgrace

that betrays him, or humiliation he is made to endure.

That grows on him, or the humiliation that dishonors him.

وإنْ كنتُ يوماً تائباً عن مودّة الر

وإنْ كنتُ يوماً تائباً عن مودّة الر

رِجالِ فهذا وَقْتُهُ وأوانُهُ

رِجالِ فهذا وَقْتُهُ وأوانُهُ

And if ever I am to repent of affection for

And if one day I repent the love of fickle men,

men, then this is the time and the fitting hour.

Now is the time and moment for it.