وَثِقتُ بِسَعدٍ فَما أَفلَحَت

وَثِقتُ بِسَعدٍ فَما أَفلَحَت

أَمانَةُ سَعدٍ وَلا خَونُهُ

أَمانَةُ سَعدٍ وَلا خَونُهُ

I trusted Saʿd, but no good came of

I trusted in Sa'd, but neither

Saʿd’s honesty, nor of his treachery.

Sa'd's fidelity nor his perfidy succeeded.

وَقَد بَزَّ أَدهَمَهُ لَونُهُ

وَقَد بَزَّ أَدهَمَهُ لَونُهُ

فَراحَ سَواءً وَبِرذَونُهُ

فَراحَ سَواءً وَبِرذَونُهُ

And indeed his color outdid his black steed’s,

Yet now his dark complexion pales—

So he went off, he and his packhorse alike.

both are alike to him, tranquility or upheaval.

وَكَيفَ سُكوني إِلى غَيبِهِ

وَكَيفَ سُكوني إِلى غَيبِهِ

وَلَونُ يَدي عِندَهُ لَونُهُ

وَلَونُ يَدي عِندَهُ لَونُهُ

And how can I trust him out of sight,

How can I be at peace in his absence

When, in his eyes, my hand has his own color?

when the color of my hand is the color of his?