لَيتwould that أنّاthat we لاnot نعرفwe know القومَthe people فيهمْin them
لَيت أنّا لا نعرف القومَ فيهمْ
حَيَدٌa turning away عنfrom ودادناour affection واِزوِرارُand aversion
حَيَدٌ عن ودادنا واِزوِرارُ
Would that we did not know the people in whom
If only we did not know these people, in whom
There is a turning away from our affection, and aversion.
There is estrangement from our affection and deception,
وَلَبِئسand truly wretched is الصّديقُthe friend هبّwafted نسيماًlike a breeze
وَلَبِئس الصّديقُ هبّ نسيماً
بمقالٍin speech وبالحُشاشةِand within the heart نارُfire
بمقالٍ وبالحُشاشةِ نارُ
And wretched is the friend who wafts like a breeze
And how wretched is the friend who blows like a gentle breeze
In speech, while within his heart is fire.
With words, while in his heart there is a burning flame,
وإذاand when سمتُهُI charged him نهوضاًrising to bear بثِقْلٍa burden
وإذا سمتُهُ نهوضاً بثِقْلٍ
خاننِيbetrayed me منهfrom him عودُهُhis timber (frame) الخَوّارُfeeble
خاننِي منه عودُهُ الخَوّارُ
And when I charged him with bearing a burden,
And when I called him to rise with effort,
His feeble timber betrayed me.
His promise to me was soon broken,
فعفاءٌso, oblivion علىupon ودادaffection أُناسٍpeople
فعفاءٌ على وداد أُناسٍ
هوit ماwhat بينهمْbetween them غبارٌdust مُثارُstirred up
هو ما بينهمْ غبارٌ مُثارُ
So let oblivion cover the friendship of such people:
So the friendship of some people is dust
Between them it is only dust stirred up.
That is stirred up between them,
إنَّindeed قوماًa people كانواthey were الكرامَthe noble ones لديناin our eyes
إنَّ قوماً كانوا الكرامَ لدينا
أوحشتْgrew desolate منهمُin their absence عليناto us الدّيارُthe dwellings
أوحشتْ منهمُ علينا الدّيارُ
Indeed, a people who were noble in our eyes—
Indeed, there were people who were generous with us
Their dwellings have grown desolate to us without them.
But their homes became desolate to us,
لمdid not يَبِتْspend the night بينهمْamong them قبيحٌanything foul ولاnor عرhalted (word begins)
لم يَبِتْ بينهمْ قبيحٌ ولا عر
رَجَhalted (word ends) فيهمamong them فيماwherever يُعرّجُit halts عارُdisgrace
رَجَ فيهم فيما يُعرّجُ عارُ
No foulness spent the night among them, nor did
No shame or fault dwelled among them
Disgrace halt among them on its rounds.
Or twisted into them like a twisted horn,
همthey ليوثٌlions إذاwhen اِستحرَّتgrew fierce وَفيand on يوday (word begins)
هم ليوثٌ إذا اِستحرَّت وَفي يو
مِday (word ends) عطاءٍgiving هُمُthey عطاءًin giving بحارُseas
مِ عطاءٍ هُمُ عطاءً بحارُ
They are lions when battle grows fierce, and on a
They are lions, and on a day of heated war
Day of giving, they are seas in generosity.
They spend generously, oceans of generosity,
خلّفوناthey left us behind وعرّسواand halted to rest فيin محلٍّa place
خلّفونا وعرّسوا في محلٍّ
هَجَرتْهُforsook it الخُطاfootsteps فليسso it is not يُزارُvisited
هَجَرتْهُ الخُطا فليس يُزارُ
They left us behind and halted to rest in a place
They left us and settled in a place
That footsteps have forsaken, and so it is not visited.
Abandoned by caravans, so it is not visited,
ماnot لهمْfor them مؤنِسٌa companion سوىexcept عَرفجِʿarfaj shrub الدوthe desert (word begins)
ما لهمْ مؤنِسٌ سوى عَرفجِ الدو
وِdesert (word ends) سقاهمِwatered them كماjust as سقاهwatered it القُطارُthe rain
وِ سقاهمِ كما سقاه القُطارُ
They have no companion but the desert's ʿarfaj shrub;
They have no companion but the knowledge of time
The rain watered them just as it watered that shrub.
And what time has portioned to them like fixed shares,
فتراهمْand so you see them فيin القاعthe level plain صرعىfallen كَرَكْبٍlike a band of riders
فتراهمْ في القاع صرعى كَرَكْبٍ
هجّرواpaused at midday عندناwith us قليلاًbriefly وسارواand traveled on
هجّروا عندنا قليلاً وساروا
And so you see them fallen on the plain, like a band of riders
You see them strewn in the wasteland like statues
Who paused with us briefly at midday, then traveled on.
They parted from us for a little while, then left
Sol 6.1