وَصاحبٌ كانَ لي وَكنتُ لَهُ

وَصاحبٌ كانَ لي وَكنتُ لَهُ

أَشفق مِن والدٍ على وَلَدِ

أَشفق مِن والدٍ على وَلَدِ

I had a companion, and I was his;

I had a friend, and I was to him

more tender toward him than a father toward his child.

more tender than a father toward his child.

كُنّا كَساقٍ يَمشي بِها قَدَمٌ

كُنّا كَساقٍ يَمشي بِها قَدَمٌ

أَو كَذِراعٍ نَيطَت إِلى عَضُدِ

أَو كَذِراعٍ نَيطَت إِلى عَضُدِ

We were like a shin on which a foot walks,

We were like a leg by which a foot walks,

or like a forearm joined to an upper arm—

or a forearm joined to an upper arm.

حَتى إِذا دانَت الحَوادِثُ مِن

حَتى إِذا دانَت الحَوادِثُ مِن

خَطوي وَحلَّ الزمانُ مِن عُقَدي

خَطوي وَحلَّ الزمانُ مِن عُقَدي

until, when calamities drew near

Until, when misfortunes had curtailed

my path, and Time began undoing my knots,

my stride, and time had loosened some of my knots,

احوَلَّ عَنّي وَكانَ ينظُرُ مِن

احوَلَّ عَنّي وَكانَ ينظُرُ مِن

عَيني وَيَرمي بِساعِدي وَيَدي

عَيني وَيَرمي بِساعِدي وَيَدي

he looked askance and turned his eyes from me, though once he saw through

he turned away from me, though he used to look through

my eye and shot with my forearm and my hand.

my eye and throw with my forearm and my hand.

وَكانَ لي مؤنِساً وكُنتُ لَهُ

وَكانَ لي مؤنِساً وكُنتُ لَهُ

لَيسَ بِنا حاجةٌ إِلى أَحدِ

لَيسَ بِنا حاجةٌ إِلى أَحدِ

He had been my intimate companion, and I was his;

And he was a comfort to me, and I to him;

the two of us had no need of anyone else—

neither of us needed anyone else.

حَتى إِذا استَرفَدت يَدي يَدَهُ

حَتى إِذا استَرفَدت يَدي يَدَهُ

كُنتُ كَمُستَرفِدِ يَدِ الأَسدِ

كُنتُ كَمُستَرفِدِ يَدِ الأَسدِ

until, when my hand sought help from his hand,

Until, when my hand sought help from his,

I was like one seeking help from a lion’s paw.

I was like one seeking help from a lion's paw.