رأَيتُ الغُصنَ معتَسِفا

رأَيتُ الغُصنَ معتَسِفا

ودِعصَ الرَّملِ مُرتَدِفا

ودِعصَ الرَّملِ مُرتَدِفا

I saw the bough wandering without a guide,

I saw the branch leaning askew,

and the sand-dune riding behind.

And the sand dunes riding away.

فَقُلتُ عَسى يعوقُهُما

فَقُلتُ عَسى يعوقُهُما

اِختلافهُما وما اِختَلَفا

اِختلافهُما وما اِختَلَفا

So I said, “Perhaps they will be hindered

I thought their difference might hinder them,

by their difference”—yet they did not differ.

Yet they differed not in their going away.

فصرَّفتُ الظنونَ بِما

فصرَّفتُ الظنونَ بِما

رأَيتُ ورحتُ مُنصرِفا

رأَيتُ ورحتُ مُنصرِفا

So I revised my conjectures in light of what

So I dismissed my conjectures,

I saw, and went away.

By what I saw, and went away turning back.

وما يُغني اتِّباعهُما

وما يُغني اتِّباعهُما

وقد ذَهبا بما اِختَطَفا

وقد ذَهبا بما اِختَطَفا

And what good is following them,

And no use following after them,

when they have gone with what they snatched:

When they had carried off what they had seized.

فؤادٌ حَشوُهُ شَعَفٌ

فؤادٌ حَشوُهُ شَعَفٌ

وقد تَركا ليَ الشَّعَفا

وقد تَركا ليَ الشَّعَفا

a heart filled with ardent love,

A heart stuffed with passion,

while they have left me the ardor?

Yet they left me but passion.

ونائِبةٍ مُواظِبَةٍ

ونائِبةٍ مُواظِبَةٍ

عليَّ بفَقدِ من سَلَفا

عليَّ بفَقدِ من سَلَفا

And many a calamity, unrelenting

And a persistent misfortune,

upon me through the loss of those gone before.

Besets me for losing who went before.

كأَنَّ الأَكرَمينَ مَضَوا

كأَنَّ الأَكرَمينَ مَضَوا

وَلَم يَستَخلِفوا خَلَفا

وَلَم يَستَخلِفوا خَلَفا

As though the most generous had passed away

As if the noblest two went away,

and left no successor.

Not leaving an heir behind.

فتىً كالماءِ لا يَزدا

فتىً كالماءِ لا يَزدا

دُ إلا رِقَّةً وَصَفا

دُ إلا رِقَّةً وَصَفا

A youth like water, who does not grow

A youth like water, augmenting

except in tenderness and clarity.

Only in softness and clearness.

وما يَجفو على الحَدثا

وما يَجفو على الحَدثا

نِ إلا كُلُّ من لَطُفا

نِ إلا كُلُّ من لَطُفا

And none is stern against time’s vicissitudes

And whose heat doesn't dry up

except those who are gentle.

Except every refined one.

بَقيتَ لِطارقِ الحَدثا

بَقيتَ لِطارقِ الحَدثا

نِ تَسترُ كُلَّ ما كَشَفا

نِ تَسترُ كُلَّ ما كَشَفا

May you endure to meet fate’s night-visitor,

You remained for the raider of the sand dunes

covering all that it has laid bare.

To hide all that was uncovered.

وعِشتَ لِمِثلِ هَذا اليَو

وعِشتَ لِمِثلِ هَذا اليَو

مِ كَي تَبقى لَه شَرَفا

مِ كَي تَبقى لَه شَرَفا

And may you live for such a day,

And you lived for the like of this day

to remain an honor to it.

So it would keep its glory.

وَعادَ عَلَيكَ مُشتَمِلاً

وَعادَ عَلَيكَ مُشتَمِلاً

بِثَوبِ السَّعدِ مُلتَحِفا

بِثَوبِ السَّعدِ مُلتَحِفا

And may it return to you, enfolded,

And it returned to you enwrapped

cloaked in the robe of good fortune.

In the garment of good fortune enfolded.

فحَسبُكَ مِن بَني الدُّنيا

فحَسبُكَ مِن بَني الدُّنيا

ثَناؤكَ بينَهم وَكَفى

ثَناؤكَ بينَهم وَكَفى

So enough for you from the sons of this world

So your sufficiency in the sons of this world

is the praise of you among them—and that suffices.

Is their praise of you, and that's enough.