إلى كَم ترتجي عطفَ الملولِ

إلى كَم ترتجي عطفَ الملولِ

وتستَجْدي نوالاً مِن بَخيلِ

وتستَجْدي نوالاً مِن بَخيلِ

How long will you hope for the fickle one's affection,

How long will you hope for care from the indifferent one,

and beg a gift from a miser?

And beg favors from the miser?

كأنّكَ في الّذي حاولتَ ساعٍ

كأنّكَ في الّذي حاولتَ ساعٍ

لجمعِ ضُحى نهارِك بالأَصِيلِ

لجمعِ ضُحى نهارِك بالأَصِيلِ

In what you have attempted, you are like one striving

As if you, in what you have tried,

to join your day's forenoon with its late afternoon.

Are gathering the brightness of your day with the evening star.

لقد أوقَعتَ قلبكَ في عَناءٍ

لقد أوقَعتَ قلبكَ في عَناءٍ

كبيرٍ في رجاءِ جَدَىً قَليلِ

كبيرٍ في رجاءِ جَدَىً قَليلِ

You have indeed plunged your heart into anguish

You have burdened your heart with great worry,

so great, in hope of so little bounty.

In hoping for a little kindness.

وفي الأطماعِ للمُعتزِّ ذُلٌّ

وفي الأطماعِ للمُعتزِّ ذُلٌّ

وحُسنُ اليأسِ عِزٌّ للذَّليلِ

وحُسنُ اليأسِ عِزٌّ للذَّليلِ

And in covetous hopes lies humiliation for the proud,

In desiring the arrogant there is humiliation,

and graceful abandonment of hope is honor for the humbled.

And in accepting despair there is honor for the disgraced.

فلا تَعصِ النُّهى فالحزمُ ناهٍ

فلا تَعصِ النُّهى فالحزمُ ناهٍ

لمثلكَ عن طِلابِ المستحيلِ

لمثلكَ عن طِلابِ المستحيلِ

So do not defy reason, for prudence forbids

So do not disobey good advice, for caution protects,

one like you from pursuing the impossible.

Ones like you from seeking the impossible.

تَناسَوْا أو نَسُوا عهدي ومالُوا

تَناسَوْا أو نَسُوا عهدي ومالُوا

إلى جَحْد الهوى كلَّ المَميلِ

إلى جَحْد الهوى كلَّ المَميلِ

They feigned forgetfulness, or forgot my covenant, and turned

They forgot or neglected my covenant and turned,

wholly toward denying love.

To denying love, all who once inclined toward it.

ولمّا أن رَأَوا حَسَني قبيحاً

ولمّا أن رَأَوا حَسَني قبيحاً

رأوا غَمْطَ الجميلِ من الجميلِ

رأوا غَمْطَ الجميلِ من الجميلِ

And when they deemed my goodness ugly,

And when they saw my beauty as ugliness,

they counted slighting kindness among good deeds.

They saw the blemish of beauty in the beautiful.

سَلَوا وتبدَّلوا بكَ فاُسْلُ عنهُمْ

سَلَوا وتبدَّلوا بكَ فاُسْلُ عنهُمْ

ودَعْ ما رابَ منهم للبديلِ

ودَعْ ما رابَ منهم للبديلِ

They forgot you and took another in your stead; so forget them,

They asked about you and changed toward you, so ask about them,

and leave whatever troubled you about them to your replacement.

And leave what has turned away from them to change.

ولا تتطلَّبِ الأعواضَ عنهُم

ولا تتطلَّبِ الأعواضَ عنهُم

فكلُّ الناسِ من أبناءِ جيلِ

فكلُّ الناسِ من أبناءِ جيلِ

And do not seek replacements for them,

And do not seek compensation from them,

for all people are sons of one generation.

For all people are from the sons of their time.

ولا تجزَعْ لغَدرٍ من خَليلٍ

ولا تجزَعْ لغَدرٍ من خَليلٍ

فقد نُسِخَ الوفاءُ مِن الخليلِ

فقد نُسِخَ الوفاءُ مِن الخليلِ

And do not grieve over treachery from a close friend,

And do not grieve for the betrayal of a friend,

for loyalty has been effaced from close friends.

For loyalty has been erased from the friend.

وأَغْضِ على القَذى عيناً وسَكِّنْ

وأَغْضِ على القَذى عيناً وسَكِّنْ

حشاكَ على جَوَى الهَمِّ الدَّخيلِ

حشاكَ على جَوَى الهَمِّ الدَّخيلِ

And close your eye upon the grit, and calm

Overlook the speck, and rest your eye,

your heart despite the burning anguish of intrusive grief.

Silencing your grief over the intrusive anxiety.