إِنَّ الفِراقَ دَعا الخَليطَ فَزالا

إِنَّ الفِراقَ دَعا الخَليطَ فَزالا

وَقَعَدتَ تَسأَلُ بَعدَهُ الأَطلالا

وَقَعَدتَ تَسأَلُ بَعدَهُ الأَطلالا

Indeed, parting summoned the company, and it departed.

Seperation called the mixed drinker and he departed

And you sat questioning the ruins after it was gone.

And you sat asking the ruins about him

طالَت بِهِم وَالفَجرُ قَد أَخَذَ الدُجى

طالَت بِهِم وَالفَجرُ قَد أَخَذَ الدُجى

عِيديَّةٌ قَودٌ يُخَلنَ خِلالا

عِيديَّةٌ قَودٌ يُخَلنَ خِلالا

They bore them aloft, while dawn had seized the darkness—

They lingered with them while dawn took away the darkness

Long-necked ʿĪdī she-camels, seeming like toothpicks.

A feast, kindling intermittent flames

وَكَأَنَّ في الحَداجِ يَومَ تَرَحَّلوا

وَكَأَنَّ في الحَداجِ يَومَ تَرَحَّلوا

آرامَ سِدرٍ قَد لَبِسنَ ظِلالا

آرامَ سِدرٍ قَد لَبِسنَ ظِلالا

And it seemed the howdahs, on the day they departed, held

As if in the bosoms on the day they went away

Gazelles of the lote trees, clothed in shade.

Were virgin lotus trees donning shadows

يُبدينَ بَيضاتِ الخُدودِ كَأَنَّها

يُبدينَ بَيضاتِ الخُدودِ كَأَنَّها

صَفَحاتُ هِندِيٍّ كُسينَ صِقالا

صَفَحاتُ هِندِيٍّ كُسينَ صِقالا

They reveal the white ovals of their cheeks, as though they were

Displaying cheeks white like pages

The flat sides of an Indian sword, clothed in polish.

Of smooth Indian steel, polished

بانَت شُرَيرَةُ عَنكَ إِذ بانوا بِها

بانَت شُرَيرَةُ عَنكَ إِذ بانوا بِها

وَاِستَخلَفَت في مُقلَتَيكَ خَيالا

وَاِستَخلَفَت في مُقلَتَيكَ خَيالا

Shurayra left you when they departed with her,

Evil looked from you as they looked at her

And left a phantom in your eyes in her place.

And imagined in your eyelids a specter

بَيضاءُ آنِسَةُ الحَديثِ كَأَنَّها

بَيضاءُ آنِسَةُ الحَديثِ كَأَنَّها

قَد أُشعِلَت مِن حُسنِها إِشعالا

قَد أُشعِلَت مِن حُسنِها إِشعالا

Fair-skinned, pleasant in conversation, as though

Fair, the companion of talk, as if

Her beauty had set her utterly ablaze.

Her beauty kindled a blaze

في وَجهِها وَرَقُ النَعيمِ مَلا العُيو

في وَجهِها وَرَقُ النَعيمِ مَلا العُيو

نَ مَلاحَةً وَظَرافَةً وَجَمالا

نَ مَلاحَةً وَظَرافَةً وَجَمالا

On her face, the foliage of bliss filled the eyes

On her face, the leaves of bliss filled the eyes

With charm, grace, and beauty.

With brackishness, charm and beauty

عَجِبَت شُرَيرَةُ إِذ رَأَتني شاحِباً

عَجِبَت شُرَيرَةُ إِذ رَأَتني شاحِباً

يا شُرَّ قَد قُلِبَ الزَمانُ وَحالا

يا شُرَّ قَد قُلِبَ الزَمانُ وَحالا

Shurayra marveled when she saw me wan.

Evil wondered, when she saw me wan

O Shurr, time has been overturned and changed.

Oh evil! Time has been reversed and changed

يا شُرَّ قَد حُمِّلتُ بَعدَكِ كُربَةً

يا شُرَّ قَد حُمِّلتُ بَعدَكِ كُربَةً

وَهُمومَ أَشغالٍ عَلَيَّ ثِقالا

وَهُمومَ أَشغالٍ عَلَيَّ ثِقالا

O Shurr, since you left, I have been laden with anguish,

Oh evil! After you I was laden with worries

And cares of duties that weigh heavily upon me,

And burdens of affairs heavy upon me

وَفَسادَ قَومٍ قَد تَمَزَّقَ وُدُّهُم

وَفَسادَ قَومٍ قَد تَمَزَّقَ وُدُّهُم

فِعلاً وَضاعوا مِن يَدَيَّ ضِلالا

فِعلاً وَضاعوا مِن يَدَيَّ ضِلالا

And the corruption of people whose affection was torn apart

And corruption of people whose affection was ripped

In deed; they slipped from my hands, gone astray.

Their actions lost and they went astray

ما تَطمَإِنَّ نُفوسُهُم مِن نَفرَةٍ

ما تَطمَإِنَّ نُفوسُهُم مِن نَفرَةٍ

قَطَعَت وَسائِلَ خِلَّةٍ وَحِبالا

قَطَعَت وَسائِلَ خِلَّةٍ وَحِبالا

Their souls find no peace from an estrangement

Their souls do not settle from abhorrence

That severed friendship's ties and cords.

That cut relations and bonds

قَومٌ هُمُ كَدرُ الحَياةِ وَسُقمِها

قَومٌ هُمُ كَدرُ الحَياةِ وَسُقمِها

عَرَضَ البَلاءُ بِهِم عَلَيَّ وَطالا

عَرَضَ البَلاءُ بِهِم عَلَيَّ وَطالا

A people who are the murk of life and its sickness;

A people who are the harm of life and its malady

Through them, calamity befell me and lasted long.

Affliction with them against me lingered

يَتَآكَلونَ ضَغينَةً وَخِيانَةً

يَتَآكَلونَ ضَغينَةً وَخِيانَةً

وَيَرَونَ لَحمَ الغافِلينَ حَلالا

وَيَرَونَ لَحمَ الغافِلينَ حَلالا

They devour one another out of rancor and treachery,

They eat hatred and treachery

And deem the flesh of the unwary lawful.

And see the flesh of the unwary as lawful

وَهُمُ فِراشُ السوءِ يَومَ مُلِمَّةٍ

وَهُمُ فِراشُ السوءِ يَومَ مُلِمَّةٍ

يَتَهافَتونَ تَعاشِياً وَخَبالا

يَتَهافَتونَ تَعاشِياً وَخَبالا

And they are moths of evil on a day of calamity,

They are the bugs of evil on a black day

Tumbling over one another in willful blindness and madness.

Jostling in greed and meanness

وَهُمُ غَرابيلُ الحَديثِ إِذا دَعَوا

وَهُمُ غَرابيلُ الحَديثِ إِذا دَعَوا

شَرّاً تَقَطَّرَ مِنهُمُ أَو سالا

شَرّاً تَقَطَّرَ مِنهُمُ أَو سالا

And they are sieves of speech: whenever they summon

They are the robes of talk, if they called

Evil, it drips from them or flows.

To evil, it dripped from them or flowed

صَرَفَت وُجوهُ اليَأسِ وَجهي عَنهُمُ

صَرَفَت وُجوهُ اليَأسِ وَجهي عَنهُمُ

وَقَطَعتُ مِنهُم خِلَّةً وَوِصالا

وَقَطَعتُ مِنهُم خِلَّةً وَوِصالا

The faces of despair turned my face away from them,

I turned the faces of despair from them

And I severed friendship and ties with them.

And cut off intimacy and connection with them

وَوَهَبتُهُم لِلصَرمِ وَاِبتَلَّ الثَرى

وَوَهَبتُهُم لِلصَرمِ وَاِبتَلَّ الثَرى

وَوَجَدتُ عُذراً فيهِمُ وَمَقالا

وَوَجَدتُ عُذراً فيهِمُ وَمَقالا

And I gave them over to estrangement, and the earth grew moist,

I left them to oxidation, and the ground tested them

And I found justification concerning them, and grounds to speak.

I found in them an argument and words

وَلَقَد أُجازي بِالضَغائِنِ أَهلَها

وَلَقَد أُجازي بِالضَغائِنِ أَهلَها

وَأَكونُ لِلمُتَعَرَّضينَ نَكالا

وَأَكونُ لِلمُتَعَرَّضينَ نَكالا

And indeed I repay those who harbor grudges with grudges,

I repay those who hold grudges with grudges

And I am a deterrent to those who challenge me.

And I am harsh to those who offend