إِنَّ عَضّيكَ يا أَخي بِالمَلامِ

إِنَّ عَضّيكَ يا أَخي بِالمَلامِ

لا يُؤَدّي لِمِثلِ هَذا الخِصامِ

لا يُؤَدّي لِمِثلِ هَذا الخِصامِ

Indeed, my biting reproach of you, my brother,

Your rebuke, my brother, with blame

does not call for a quarrel such as this.

Does not lead to discord like this

أَنتَ وَالشَمسِ وَالضُحى وَاللَيالي ال

أَنتَ وَالشَمسِ وَالضُحى وَاللَيالي ال

عَشرِ وَالفَجرِ غَيرُ راعي الذِمامِ

عَشرِ وَالفَجرِ غَيرُ راعي الذِمامِ

You—by the sun, the morning brightness, and the nights

You, the sun, the bright mornings, and the ten nights

numbering ten, and dawn—are no keeper of pledges.

And the dawn, other than the keeper of sorrows

ما عَهِدناكَ يا كَريمَ السَجايا

ما عَهِدناكَ يا كَريمَ السَجايا

تَصرِفُ النَفسَ عَن هَناتِ الكِرامِ

تَصرِفُ النَفسَ عَن هَناتِ الكِرامِ

We never knew you, noble of character,

We never knew you, O noble of nature

to turn your soul away from noble people's small faults.

To turn the soul away from the zeal of the generous

لَيسَ في كُتبِنا سُؤالُ نَوالٍ

لَيسَ في كُتبِنا سُؤالُ نَوالٍ

مِنكَ حَتّى خَشيتَ رَدَّ السَلامِ

مِنكَ حَتّى خَشيتَ رَدَّ السَلامِ

In our letters there is no request for bounty

There is not in our books a question of obtaining

from you, that you should fear to return a greeting.

Anything from you, that you feared rejecting greetings

نَحنُ نَرضى بِالقوتِ مِن هَذِهِ الدُن

نَحنُ نَرضى بِالقوتِ مِن هَذِهِ الدُن

يا وَإِن باتَ دونَ قوتِ النَعامِ

يا وَإِن باتَ دونَ قوتِ النَعامِ

We are content with sustenance from this world,

We are content with sustenance in this world

even if it were less than the fare of ostriches.

Even if it falls short of the sustenance of ostriches

وَإِذا خانَ قِسمُنا ما شَكَونا

وَإِذا خانَ قِسمُنا ما شَكَونا

لِسِوى اللَهِ أَعدَلِ القُسّامِ

لِسِوى اللَهِ أَعدَلِ القُسّامِ

And if our lot betrays us, we do not complain

And if our share is betrayed, we will not complain

to anyone but God, the fairest of apportioners.

Except to Allah, the most just of dividers

كَيفَ تَنسى يا بابِلِيُّ غَريباً

كَيفَ تَنسى يا بابِلِيُّ غَريباً

باتَ بَينَ الظُنونِ وَالأَوهامِ

باتَ بَينَ الظُنونِ وَالأَوهامِ

How can you forget, O Babylonian, a stranger

How can you forget, O Babylonian stranger

who spent the night amid doubts and illusions,

Who spent the night among suspicions and illusions

وَحَزيناً إِذا تَنَفَّسَ عادَت

وَحَزيناً إِذا تَنَفَّسَ عادَت

فَحمَةُ اللَيلِ جَمرَةً مِن ضِرامِ

فَحمَةُ اللَيلِ جَمرَةً مِن ضِرامِ

and a grieving man whose breath turns

And saddened, when he sighed, the embers

the night's coal-blackness into an ember of blazing fire?

Of night returned as burning coals

وَإِذا أَنَّ كادَ يَنصَدِعُ الأُف

وَإِذا أَنَّ كادَ يَنصَدِعُ الأُف

قُ وَتَعتَلُّ دَورَةَ الأَجرامِ

قُ وَتَعتَلُّ دَورَةَ الأَجرامِ

And when he moans, the horizon almost splits,

And if he despaired, about to crack from grief

and the heavenly bodies' course grows sick.

And the cycle of celestial spheres became disordered

باتَ تَحتَ البَلاءِ حَتّى تَمَنّى

باتَ تَحتَ البَلاءِ حَتّى تَمَنّى

لَو يَكونُ المَبيتُ تَحتَ الرَغامِ

لَو يَكونُ المَبيتُ تَحتَ الرَغامِ

He spent the night beneath affliction until he wished

He spent the night under affliction until he wished

that his lodging for the night were beneath the dust.

That dwelling would be under soft sand