لكنّنِي أشكُو قَوارِصَ مِن

لكنّنِي أشكُو قَوارِصَ مِن

تِلقَائِهِمْ قَلبي لها يَجفُ

تِلقَائِهِمْ قَلبي لها يَجفُ

But I complain of stinging barbs from

Yet I complain of the harshness of some

them, at which my heart trembles,

Whose hearts at once by chance grow cold to me.

ومَلالةً منهمُ يَبينُ علَى

ومَلالةً منهمُ يَبينُ علَى

أثْنَائِهَا الشَّنآنُ والشَّنَفُ

أثْنَائِهَا الشَّنآنُ والشَّنَفُ

And weariness on their part, revealing in

And I am bored by them: boredom appears

its folds hatred and loathing.

Between us with rancor and disdain.

أَنكرتُ قسوتَهُمْ وأعرفُهُمْ

أَنكرتُ قسوتَهُمْ وأعرفُهُمْ

كُرمَاءَ إمّا استُعطِفُوا عَطَفُوا

كُرمَاءَ إمّا استُعطِفُوا عَطَفُوا

I found their harshness strange, though I know them

I denied their harshness and knew them

to be generous: when asked for compassion, they show it.

As generous: either they were persuaded and relented,

قطَعُوا أواصِرَ بَينَنا وشَجَتْ

قطَعُوا أواصِرَ بَينَنا وشَجَتْ

أسبَابَها الأنسابُ والسّلَفُ

أسبَابَها الأنسابُ والسّلَفُ

They severed bonds between us, whose strands

Or they cut the ties between us, and kinship

kinship and forebears had interwoven.

And ancestry were severed by them.

وإذا سَلِمتَ أبا سلامَةَ لي

وإذا سَلِمتَ أبا سلامَةَ لي

فمُصابُ كلِّ رزِيَّةٍ ظَلَفُ

فمُصابُ كلِّ رزِيَّةٍ ظَلَفُ

And if you remain safe for me, Abu Salamah,

When you bid farewell to Abu Salama for me,

then every calamity's blow is of no account.

Then the misfortune of every calamity has passed away.

لي سَلوةٌ بكَ عن بَني زَمَني

لي سَلوةٌ بكَ عن بَني زَمَني

فليجْهَدُوا في الغَدْرِ أو لِيَفُوا

فليجْهَدُوا في الغَدْرِ أو لِيَفُوا

In you I find solace from the sons of my age;

I have a diversion with you from the people of my time,

so let them strive in treachery, or keep faith.

So let them strive in treachery or keep their word!

قَارعتَ دُونِي الحادثاتِ فَلا

قَارعتَ دُونِي الحادثاتِ فَلا

طرقَتْ فناءَكَ ما دَجَا السّدَفُ

طرقَتْ فناءَكَ ما دَجَا السّدَفُ

You battled misfortunes for me; may they never

You warded off misfortunes from me so that

visit your courtyard as long as darkness gathers.

No gloom of sorrow has visited your abode.

وكفَيتَ آمالِي بجودِك أَن

وكفَيتَ آمالِي بجودِك أَن

تُضْحِي إلى الرّغَباتِ تَشْتَرِفُ

تُضْحِي إلى الرّغَباتِ تَشْتَرِفُ

And through your generosity you spared my hopes from

And you have satisfied my hopes with your generosity

having to gaze longingly toward desired things.

That you may rise to desires loftily.

فغدوتُ لا خَطباً أخافُ ولا

فغدوتُ لا خَطباً أخافُ ولا

أَنَاْ إِثْرَ شيءٍ فائتٍ أَسِفُ

أَنَاْ إِثْرَ شيءٍ فائتٍ أَسِفُ

So now I fear no calamity, nor

So I have become one who fears no misfortune

am I sorrowful over anything that has slipped away.

And who laments no lost thing longingly.