أقولُ لراجي خالدٍ إذ رأيته

أقولُ لراجي خالدٍ إذ رأيته

وقد ضلَّ في تلك المخازي وقدْ وَنى

وقد ضلَّ في تلك المخازي وقدْ وَنى

I say to one who hopes for Khalid, on seeing him,

I say to the hopeful Khaled when I saw him

When he had gone astray amid those disgraces and grown weary:

Lost in those meadows, exhausted and worn

ليكفيكَ ما قد قيل مما تقولُه

ليكفيكَ ما قد قيل مما تقولُه

فلا تَكُ ممن يَعنِه اللَّه بالعَنا

فلا تَكُ ممن يَعنِه اللَّه بالعَنا

Let what has already been said suffice you for what you would say;

Let what has been said suffice you from what you say

Do not be among those whom God afflicts with toil.

So be not of those whom God curses with affliction

بلى سَمِّه أوسمِّ من ضمَّ رحلَهُ

بلى سَمِّه أوسمِّ من ضمَّ رحلَهُ

وحسبُك بالأسماء تكفي وبالكُنى

وحسبُك بالأسماء تكفي وبالكُنى

Yes, name him, or name whoever has taken in his baggage;

Yes, name him or name one who packed his belongings

Names suffice you, and bynames too.

And suffice yourself with names that suffice and hints

متى أطعمتك النفسُ في سبق خالدٍ

متى أطعمتك النفسُ في سبق خالدٍ

بمعنىً بديعٍ ليس فيه من الخنا

بمعنىً بديعٍ ليس فيه من الخنا

Whenever your soul feeds you hopes of outstripping Khalid

Whenever desire feeds you ahead of Khaled

With a novel conceit containing no obscenity,

With a beautiful meaning, lacking any flaw

فإنك يا مغرور فيما رجوْتَهُ

فإنك يا مغرور فيما رجوْتَهُ

كمن يرتجي سبق المقادير بالمُنى

كمن يرتجي سبق المقادير بالمُنى

Then you, deluded one, in what you hoped for,

For you, o deluded in what you hoped for

Are like one hoping to outstrip fate’s decrees through wishes.

Are like one who hopes to outrun fate's wishes

له نسوةٌ لو مُلِّك الليلُ أمره

له نسوةٌ لو مُلِّك الليلُ أمره

لأوشك عنهنَّ الزوالَ وما ثنا

لأوشك عنهنَّ الزوالَ وما ثنا

He has women—were night given control of its own course,

He has women, if the night empowered his command

It would soon depart from them and never turn back.

Soon the decline would come and he wouldn't resist

إذا دُفعتْ أيدي الزناةِ بسُحرةٍ

إذا دُفعتْ أيدي الزناةِ بسُحرةٍ

رفعن لمرتادِ الزنا أرجُلَ الزنا

رفعن لمرتادِ الزنا أرجُلَ الزنا

When the fornicators’ hands are pushed away just before dawn,

When the hands of adulterers are handicapped with sorceresses

They raise the legs of fornication for one seeking fornication.

They hold up for the adulterer legs for adultery