هُمْ في ضميْرِكَ خَيَّمُوا أم قَوَّضُوا

هُمْ في ضميْرِكَ خَيَّمُوا أم قَوَّضُوا

ومِنَى جُفُوْنِكَ أَقْبَلُوا أم أَعْرَضُوا

ومِنَى جُفُوْنِكَ أَقْبَلُوا أم أَعْرَضُوا

Have they pitched camp in your heart, or struck camp?

In your conscience did they camp or demolish

And have they come to the Mina of your eyelids, or turned away?

From your eyelids did they come or turn away

وهُمُ رِضاكَ من الزَّمانِ وأَهْلِهِ

وهُمُ رِضاكَ من الزَّمانِ وأَهْلِهِ

سَخِطُوا كما زَعَمَتْ وُشَاتُكَ أم رَضُوا

سَخِطُوا كما زَعَمَتْ وُشَاتُكَ أم رَضُوا

And they are all you desire of time and its people—

And are they pleased with your era and its people

Were they displeased, as your slanderers claimed, or pleased?

As your whispers claimed or did they become angry

أَهْوَاهُمُ وإنِ استمرَّ قِلاَهُمُ

أَهْوَاهُمُ وإنِ استمرَّ قِلاَهُمُ

ومِنَ العجائبِ أنْ يُحَبَّ المُبْغَضُ

ومِنَ العجائبِ أنْ يُحَبَّ المُبْغَضُ

I love them, though their hatred endures.

I adore them even if their scarcity persists

And it is a wonder that the hated should be loved.

And it's wondrous that the hated is loved

تَنْهَى النُّهَى عَنْهُمْ ويَأْمُرُنِي الهَوَى

تَنْهَى النُّهَى عَنْهُمْ ويَأْمُرُنِي الهَوَى

والنَّفْسُ تُعْرِضُ والمُنَى تَتَعرَّضُ

والنَّفْسُ تُعْرِضُ والمُنَى تَتَعرَّضُ

Reason bids me shun them, while passion commands me.

You forbid me from them yet passion commands me

And the soul turns away, while wishes come forward.

My soul refuses yet my longing welcomes

وفُوَيْقَ ذاكَ الماءِ من شُهُب القَنَا

وفُوَيْقَ ذاكَ الماءِ من شُهُب القَنَا

حَبَبٌ ومِنْ خُضْرِ الصَّوَارم عَرْمَضُ

حَبَبٌ ومِنْ خُضْرِ الصَّوَارم عَرْمَضُ

And just above that water, from the spears’ shooting stars,

Like the water above the mountain’s peaks

Are bubbles, and from the green swords, pond-scum.

Affection and the greenest of blades abound

والناسُ أَغْرِبَةٌ إذا قَايَسْتَهُمْ

والناسُ أَغْرِبَةٌ إذا قَايَسْتَهُمْ

وأخو المُصَافاةِ الغرابُ الأَبْيَضُ

وأخو المُصَافاةِ الغرابُ الأَبْيَضُ

And people are crows, when you compare them;

People are so strange when you compare them

And a true friend is the white crow.

Kin of harmony is the white raven