وَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةٍ عَلى أَذىً

وَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةٍ عَلى أَذىً

يَضيمُكَ فيهِ صاحِبٌ وَتُراقِبُه

يَضيمُكَ فيهِ صاحِبٌ وَتُراقِبُه

And death is surely better than a life of suffering,

Death is better than a life of distress

in which a companion wrongs you while you watch him warily.

Where a companion oppresses you and watches you

كَأَنَّ حَياةَ الناسِ حينَ ضَمِنتَها

كَأَنَّ حَياةَ الناسِ حينَ ضَمِنتَها

قَذىً في حُقوقِ العَينِ مِنّي أُوارِبُه

قَذىً في حُقوقِ العَينِ مِنّي أُوارِبُه

As though human life, when you undertook it,

As if when people guaranteed their lives

were grit in my eye sockets, which I try to evade.

It was a speck in my eye's rights that I blink away

يَخونُكَ ذو القُربى مِراراً وَرُبَّما

يَخونُكَ ذو القُربى مِراراً وَرُبَّما

وَفى لَكَ عِندَ الجَهلِ مَن لا تُقارِبُه

وَفى لَكَ عِندَ الجَهلِ مَن لا تُقارِبُه

Your kin betray you time and again, and sometimes

A close relative betrays you repeatedly

one you are not close to keeps faith with you in times of folly.

Yet the ignorant are faithful to you

وَقَد رابَني قَلبٌ يُكَلِّفُني الصِبا

وَقَد رابَني قَلبٌ يُكَلِّفُني الصِبا

وَما كُلَّ حينٍ يَتبَعُ القَلبَ صاحِبُه

وَما كُلَّ حينٍ يَتبَعُ القَلبَ صاحِبُه

And a heart that burdens me with youthful passion has troubled me;

And a heart has confused me that makes youth obligatory

and not always does the heart's owner follow it.

Yet not every time does the heart follow its companion

وَما قادَني في الدَهرِ إِلّا غَلَبتُهُ

وَما قادَني في الدَهرِ إِلّا غَلَبتُهُ

وَكَيفَ يُلامُ المَرءُ وَالحُبُّ غالِبُه

وَكَيفَ يُلامُ المَرءُ وَالحُبُّ غالِبُه

And never in my life has it led me without my overcoming it.

And nothing led me in life except overcoming it

And how can a man be blamed when love overpowers him?

And how can a man be blamed when love overcomes him

وَأَحوَرَ مَحسودٍ عَلى حُسنِ وَجهِهِ

وَأَحوَرَ مَحسودٍ عَلى حُسنِ وَجهِهِ

يَزينُ السُموطَ نَحرُهُ وَتَرائِبُه

يَزينُ السُموطَ نَحرُهُ وَتَرائِبُه

And many a dark-eyed man, envied for the beauty of his face—

The neck and braids of a jealous handsome man

his throat and upper chest adorn the necklaces.

Adorn his nape