لَعَمرُكَ ما تَنفَكُّ عَنّي مَلامَةً

لَعَمرُكَ ما تَنفَكُّ عَنّي مَلامَةً

بَنو جَعفَرٍ ما هَيَّجَ الضَغنُ جَعفَرا

بَنو جَعفَرٍ ما هَيَّجَ الضَغنُ جَعفَرا

By your life, they never cease reproaching me—

For goodness sake, you never cease to blame me

The sons of Jaʿfar, so long as rancor stirs Jaʿfar.

O clansmen of Ja'far, no rancor stirred Ja'far

إِذا قُلتُ هَذا حينَ راجَعَ وُدُّها

إِذا قُلتُ هَذا حينَ راجَعَ وُدُّها

أَبى حِقدُها في الصَدرِ إِلّا تَذَكُّرا

أَبى حِقدُها في الصَدرِ إِلّا تَذَكُّرا

Whenever I say, “Now her goodwill has returned,”

When I said this as his affection returned

Her rancor in the breast insists on remembrance

His malice in his breast refused but to remember

لِمَهلَكِ أَفراسٍ أُصِبنَ وَرُبَّما

لِمَهلَكِ أَفراسٍ أُصِبنَ وَرُبَّما

أَصابوا بِها أَمثالَها ثُمَّ أَكثَرا

أَصابوا بِها أَمثالَها ثُمَّ أَكثَرا

Of the loss of horses struck down; yet often

The ruin of horses they met, and would oft

They gained through them their like, and then more—

Meet the like of them, then more

مِنَ الأَرضِ أَهلاً بَعدَ مالٍ وَجيرَةٍ

مِنَ الأَرضِ أَهلاً بَعدَ مالٍ وَجيرَةٍ

وَأَبقَت لَهُم مِنّي مَآتِمَ حُسَّرا

وَأَبقَت لَهُم مِنّي مَآتِمَ حُسَّرا

People from the land, besides wealth and neighbors—

Of people of the land, after wealth and neighbors

And they left them, at my hands, gatherings of bareheaded mourners.

And left for them in me, scenes of sadness unveiled