إِن شَرِبوا الراحَ فَما شُربُنا

إِن شَرِبوا الراحَ فَما شُربُنا

في الراحِ إِلّا الأَزرَقُ البارِدُ

في الراحِ إِلّا الأَزرَقُ البارِدُ

If they drink wine, our drink

Though they may drink wine, we only drank

in our palms is only the cold blue water.

The cool, blue drink in wine

لا تَطرُدِ الوَحشَ فَما يَلبَثُ الصارِدِ

لا تَطرُدِ الوَحشَ فَما يَلبَثُ الصارِدِ

مَطرودُ في الدُنيا وَلا الطارِدُ

مَطرودُ في الدُنيا وَلا الطارِدُ

Do not chase the wild beasts, for the piercing one does not linger—

Do not banish the beast, for the archer

neither the pursued in this world nor the pursuer.

Will not last long, neither the banished nor the banisher

أُختُ بَني الصَرِدِ في دَهرِها

أُختُ بَني الصَرِدِ في دَهرِها

أَصابَها سَهمُ رَداً صارِدُ

أَصابَها سَهمُ رَداً صارِدُ

A sister of Banu al-Ṣarid, in her lifetime,

The sister of the lizard clan in her time

was struck by a piercing arrow of death.

Was struck by a repelling, speeding arrow

كانَ لَها كَرمانِ هَذا أَبى ال

كانَ لَها كَرمانِ هَذا أَبى ال

سَقيا وَهَذا أَبَداً وارِدُ

سَقيا وَهَذا أَبَداً وارِدُ

She had two vineyards: this one refused the

She had two vineyards, one refused all irrigation

watering, while the other was forever coming for water.

While the other was ever flowing

لا توحِشُ الوَحدَةُ أَصحابَها

لا توحِشُ الوَحدَةُ أَصحابَها

إِنَّ سُهَيلاً وَحدَهُ فارِدُ

إِنَّ سُهَيلاً وَحدَهُ فارِدُ

Solitude does not make its companions lonely;

Solitude does not trouble its companions

indeed, Suhayl is solitary, all alone.

For Suhail in its solitude is radiant

وَكَم تَرى في الأُفُقُِ مِن كَوكَبٍ

وَكَم تَرى في الأُفُقُِ مِن كَوكَبٍ

يَعظُمُ أَن يُرمى بِهِ المارِدُ

يَعظُمُ أَن يُرمى بِهِ المارِدُ

And how many a star you see on the horizon,

And how many stars do you see in the horizon

too exalted to be hurled at a rebellious demon.

That disdain to be thrown at by the giant

خَبَّرتَني أَمراً فَقُل راشِداً

خَبَّرتَني أَمراً فَقُل راشِداً

مِن أَينَ هَذا الخَبَرُ الشارِدُ

مِن أَينَ هَذا الخَبَرُ الشارِدُ

You told me something; now tell me, with sound judgment:

You told me something, so speak truly

Where does this wandering report come from?

Where did this random news come from?

عَلَيكَ بِالصُدقِ فَلا حَظَّ لي

عَلَيكَ بِالصُدقِ فَلا حَظَّ لي

في كَذبٍ يَنظِمُهُ السارِدُ

في كَذبٍ يَنظِمُهُ السارِدُ

Keep to the truth: I have no share

You must be truthful, for I have no share

in falsehood woven by a storyteller.

In lies fabricated by the narrator

مَن يُدنِ لِلشّاكَةِ أَثوابَهُ

مَن يُدنِ لِلشّاكَةِ أَثوابَهُ

يُصِبهُ مِنها غُصُنٌ هارِدُ

يُصِبهُ مِنها غُصُنٌ هارِدُ

Whoever brings his garments near a thornbush,

He who comes near the thorn bush to grab his clothes

a rending branch from it will strike him.

Will be struck by its repelling branch