أَلا يا أَبا الجارودِ هَل أَنتَ مُخبِري

أَلا يا أَبا الجارودِ هَل أَنتَ مُخبِري

بِأَيِّ زِنادٍ عِندَكُم يورَيَن قَدحي

بِأَيِّ زِنادٍ عِندَكُم يورَيَن قَدحي

Ah, Abu al-Jarud, will you tell me

O Abu Jaroud, won't you tell me

With which of your firesticks my striking will kindle fire?

With what flint at your place is lit my firebrand?

سَكَتُّ فَلَم يَبلُغ بيَ السَكتُ نَقرَةً

سَكَتُّ فَلَم يَبلُغ بيَ السَكتُ نَقرَةً

وَقُلتُ فَلَم أبلغ بِذمٍّ وَلا مَدحِ

وَقُلتُ فَلَم أبلغ بِذمٍّ وَلا مَدحِ

I kept silent, but silence advanced me not a jot;

I was silent, but my silence brought me no comfort,

And I spoke, but got nowhere through blame or praise.

And I spoke, but reached no blame or praise.

وَإِنَّكَ قَد عَلَّمتَني فَعَلِمتُهُ

وَإِنَّكَ قَد عَلَّمتَني فَعَلِمتُهُ

فِراقَ الخَليلِ في جَمالٍ وَفي صَفحِ

فِراقَ الخَليلِ في جَمالٍ وَفي صَفحِ

And you have indeed taught me, and I have learned it:

Yet you have taught me what I have learned:

To part from a dear friend with grace and forgiveness.

To bear with patience my friend's abandonment, his beauty and his scorn.