لَكَ الخَيرُ أَيُّ الخَيرِ في رَدِّ صاحِبٍ

لَكَ الخَيرُ أَيُّ الخَيرِ في رَدِّ صاحِبٍ

مُغيرٍ عَلى عِرضِ الصَديقِ مُغامِرِ

مُغيرٍ عَلى عِرضِ الصَديقِ مُغامِرِ

May good be yours—what good is there in rebuffing a companion

Goodness belongs to you, O friend of mine

who raids his friend's honor with reckless daring?

Who risks friendship to change my flawless honor

يَهُشُّ مَعَ اللُقيا إِلَيَّ كَأَنَّما

يَهُشُّ مَعَ اللُقيا إِلَيَّ كَأَنَّما

أُحِلَّ بِرَبعٍ لِلبَشاشَةِ عامِرِ

أُحِلَّ بِرَبعٍ لِلبَشاشَةِ عامِرِ

He brightens toward me when we meet, as though

He comes to me cheerful as though welcomed

lodged in a dwelling flourishing with good cheer.

To a lively district for merriment

وَمَهما نَأى غامَت عَلَيَّ سَماؤُهُ

وَمَهما نَأى غامَت عَلَيَّ سَماؤُهُ

وَجادَت بِصَوبٍ لِلغَضاضَةِ هامِرِ

وَجادَت بِصَوبٍ لِلغَضاضَةِ هامِرِ

Yet whenever he goes far away, his sky clouds over me

However far his dark cloud kept its distance

and pours a torrential rain of humiliation.

And poured from a region rain heavily

فَجَرَّ بِلَمحي ظالِماً كُلُّ ذاكِرٍ

فَجَرَّ بِلَمحي ظالِماً كُلُّ ذاكِرٍ

وَلاكَ بِعِرضي مُضغَةً كُلُّ سامِرِ

وَلاكَ بِعِرضي مُضغَةً كُلُّ سامِرِ

Then every speaker wrongfully drags my name about,

My glance made every slanderer unjust

and every nighttime talker chews a morsel of my honor.

And my honor caused everyone envious to choke

وَإِنّي لَأَلقى الرَكبَ يَهبِطُ أَرضَهُ

وَإِنّي لَأَلقى الرَكبَ يَهبِطُ أَرضَهُ

بِأَذكى ثَناءٍ مِن أَريجِ المُهاجِرِ

بِأَذكى ثَناءٍ مِن أَريجِ المُهاجِرِ

Yet I greet the caravan alighting in his land

I meet the traveling company descend on his land

with praise more fragrant than the scent of imported perfume.

With the most fragrant praise of immigrants

وَيَطرُقُني ضَيفاً مَعَ اللَيلِ طَيفُهُ

وَيَطرُقُني ضَيفاً مَعَ اللَيلِ طَيفُهُ

فَيَكرَعُ في ماءٍ مِنَ البِشرِ غامِرِ

فَيَكرَعُ في ماءٍ مِنَ البِشرِ غامِرِ

And his phantom visits me as a guest at night,

His phantom knocks on me as a guest by night

then drinks deep from brimming waters of gladness.

To drink from a brimming stream of humanity

فَأَغضَيتُ إِغضاءَ الكَريمِ لِفِتيَةٍ

فَأَغضَيتُ إِغضاءَ الكَريمِ لِفِتيَةٍ

كِرامِ الحُلى وَالمُنتَمى وَالأَواصِرِ

كِرامِ الحُلى وَالمُنتَمى وَالأَواصِرِ

So I overlooked it with a noble man's forbearance, for young men

So I forgave like the noble man forgives the youth

noble in adornments, ancestry, and kinship ties.

Of precious adornment, proud lineage, and family ties

وَأَحجَمتُ جُبناً عَن لَمامٍ بِعَتبَةٍ

وَأَحجَمتُ جُبناً عَن لَمامٍ بِعَتبَةٍ

وَإِنّي لَمَطوِيٌّ عَلى بَأسِ عامِرِ

وَإِنّي لَمَطوِيٌّ عَلى بَأسِ عامِرِ

And I held back, out of timidity, from a brush with reproach,

And I refrained out of cowardice from blaming by the door

though I enfold within me the valor of Amir.

Though able to stir up a vigorous warrior

وَقُلتُ وَحُسنُ الصَبرِ خَيرُ مَغَبَّةٍ

وَقُلتُ وَحُسنُ الصَبرِ خَيرُ مَغَبَّةٍ

هَنيئاً مَريئاً غَيرَ داءٍ مُخامِرِ

هَنيئاً مَريئاً غَيرَ داءٍ مُخامِرِ

And I said—for good patience brings the best outcome—

I said patience is best despite the pain

"May it be pleasant and wholesome, with no lurking ailment."

Praiseworthy, honorable without any bitterness

وَلَو شِئتُ رُعتُ القِرنَ وَالبيدُ بَينَنا

وَلَو شِئتُ رُعتُ القِرنَ وَالبيدُ بَينَنا

بِصَهلَةِ خَوّارِ الأَعِنَّةِ ضامِرِ

بِصَهلَةِ خَوّارِ الأَعِنَّةِ ضامِرِ

And had I wished, I would have terrified my rival, with deserts between us,

Had I wished I would rouse war and havoc between us

with the neigh of a lean steed, yielding to the reins.

With the neighing of a steed eager for battle