اُنظُر إِلى قُرَناءِ المَرءِ تَعرِفُهُ

اُنظُر إِلى قُرَناءِ المَرءِ تَعرِفُهُ

بِهِم وَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَكشِفهُ عَن خَبَرِ

بِهِم وَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَكشِفهُ عَن خَبَرِ

Look at a man's companions: you will know him

Look at a man's companions to know him

Through them, even if you have not sought to learn about him.

Though you have no news of him before.

فَلَستُ بِأَوَّلِ مَن فاتَهُ

فَلَستُ بِأَوَّلِ مَن فاتَهُ

عَلى إِربِهِ بَعضُ ما يَطلُبُ

عَلى إِربِهِ بَعضُ ما يَطلُبُ

For I am not the first to fail to attain

I'm not the first one who missed

Some of what he seeks, despite his resourcefulness.

Some of what he sought from his loved one.

وَكائِن تَعَرَّضَ مِن خاطِبٍ

وَكائِن تَعَرَّضَ مِن خاطِبٍ

فَزُوِّجَ غَيرَ الَّتي يَخطِبُ

فَزُوِّجَ غَيرَ الَّتي يَخطِبُ

And many a suitor has come forward,

Many a suitor has tried

Only to be married to a woman other than the one he seeks.

Yet she he sought was wed to another,

وَأُنكِحَها بَعدَهُ غَيرُهُ

وَأُنكِحَها بَعدَهُ غَيرُهُ

وَكانَت لَهُ قَبلَهُ تُحجَبُ

وَكانَت لَهُ قَبلَهُ تُحجَبُ

And another was married to her after him,

And she was married after him to someone else

And before that she had been kept veiled from him.

Though she was forbidden to him before.

وَكُنّا حَديثاً صَفِيَّينِ لا

وَكُنّا حَديثاً صَفِيَّينِ لا

نَخافُ الوُشاةَ وَما سَبَّبوا

نَخافُ الوُشاةَ وَما سَبَّبوا

And not long ago we were two close companions, not

We were close friends, sincere,

Fearing the tale-bearers or what they brought about.

Fearing no slanderers and their schemes.

فَإِن شَطَّتِ الدارُ عَنّا بِها

فَإِن شَطَّتِ الدارُ عَنّا بِها

فَبانَت وَفي الناسِ مُستَعتَبُ

فَبانَت وَفي الناسِ مُستَعتَبُ

So if her dwelling has carried her far from us,

But when the house parted us,

And she has departed, there is solace among people.

It was exposed, and blame fell on people.

وَأَصبَحَ صَدعُ الَّذي بَينَنا

وَأَصبَحَ صَدعُ الَّذي بَينَنا

كَصَدعِ الزُجاجَةِ ما يُشعَبُ

كَصَدعِ الزُجاجَةِ ما يُشعَبُ

And the rift in the bond between us has become

The rift between us now

Like a crack in a glass vessel that cannot be mended,

Is like a crack in glass, unable to mend.

وَكَالدَرِّ لَيسَت لَهُ رَجعَةٌ

وَكَالدَرِّ لَيسَت لَهُ رَجعَةٌ

إِلى الضَرعِ مِن بَعدِ ما يُحلَبُ

إِلى الضَرعِ مِن بَعدِ ما يُحلَبُ

And like milk, for which there is no return

Like a pearl, it has no way

To the udder after it has been milked.

Back to the oyster once taken out.