سارَwent الرَفيقُthe companion لِقَصدِهِtoward his destination وَتَلَبَّثاand lingered
سارَ الرَفيقُ لِقَصدِهِ وَتَلَبَّثا
وَشَكاand complained فَماbut did not عَذَرَexcuse الرَفيقَthe companion وَلاnor رَثىpity
وَشَكا فَما عَذَرَ الرَفيقَ وَلا رَثى
The companion set off toward his destination, while he lingered.
The companion journeyed on to his goal while we lingered,
And he complained, but neither excused the companion nor pitied him.
And though he did not offer excuse nor mourn his friend,
وَرَأىand saw الطَلولَthe ruins تُطيقُcould manage دَفعاًwarding off لِلأَسىof sorrow
وَرَأى الطَلولَ تُطيقُ دَفعاً لِلأَسى
وَقَضَتand decreed عَلَيهِupon him أَنthat يَنوحَhe lament وَيَمكُثاand stay
وَقَضَت عَلَيهِ أَن يَنوحَ وَيَمكُثا
He thought the ruins could ward off sorrow,
He saw that only perseverance could lessen his sorrow
And they decreed that he must lament and stay.
And so was fated to weep and bide his time.
لَمdid not يَبقَremain فيهاin them غَيرُother than نُؤيٍa tent-trench خامِلٍfaint
لَم يَبقَ فيها غَيرُ نُؤيٍ خامِلٍ
وَمُسَحَّجٍand a battered peg رَثِّworn القِلادَةِthe collar أَشعَثاdisheveled
وَمُسَحَّجٍ رَثِّ القِلادَةِ أَشعَثا
Nothing remained there but a faint tent-trench,
None were left save a silent hermit
And a battered, disheveled peg with a worn collar.
And a dishevelled vagrant with necklace askew,
عَفّىeffaced وَغَيَّرَهاand altered them زَمانٌtime غادِرٌtreacherous
عَفّى وَغَيَّرَها زَمانٌ غادِرٌ
مُتَقَلِّبٌfickle فيin شَرطِهِits terms أَنto يَنكُثاbreak faith
مُتَقَلِّبٌ في شَرطِهِ أَن يَنكُثا
Treacherous time effaced and altered them,
Whom time forgot and treacherously betrayed,
Fickle, with breach of faith among its terms.
Ever fickle in its dealings and quick to renounce.
مِنfrom بَعدِafter عَهدِكَyour former days أَنthat تَرىyou see فيin رَبعِهاher dwelling
مِن بَعدِ عَهدِكَ أَن تَرى في رَبعِها
رَشَأًa fawn كَحيلَkohl-dark المُقلَتَينِthe two eyes مُرَقَّشاdappled
رَشَأً كَحيلَ المُقلَتَينِ مُرَقَّشا
After the days when you would see in her dwelling
After the days you spent here, looking out on its plains
A dappled fawn, with both eyes kohl-dark,
To see a landscape like the gaze of heavy-lidded eyes,
يَرنوhe gazes بِناظِرَةٍwith an eye تُذيبُmelts بِلَحظِهاwith its glance
يَرنو بِناظِرَةٍ تُذيبُ بِلَحظِها
مُهَجَthe lifeblood النُفوسِof souls تَقَتُّلاًlanguorous coquetry وَتَأَنُّثاand feminine grace
مُهَجَ النُفوسِ تَقَتُّلاً وَتَأَنُّثا
Gazing with an eye whose glance melts
That melt the souls of men with their murderous glances,
The lifeblood of souls, with languorous coquetry and feminine grace.
Inciting in their hearts both rapture and unease.
أَيّامَin the days يُلقيcasts الزَهرُthe blossom فيamid لَذّاتِهِhis pleasures
أَيّامَ يُلقي الزَهرُ في لَذّاتِهِ
وَسَناًdrowsiness وَتَبعَثُنيand rouse me الحَوادِثُevents مَبعَثاa rousing
وَسَناً وَتَبعَثُني الحَوادِثُ مَبعَثا
In days when blossom cast, amid his pleasures,
Days when flowers scatter their petals heedlessly
Drowsiness, while events roused me awake.
And events wake me from my slumber,
أَوَand (questioning) ماnot عَجِبتَyou marveled لِصاحِبٍat a companion ليof mine شَرُّهُhis malice
أَوَ ما عَجِبتَ لِصاحِبٍ لي شَرُّهُ
لاnot يَتَّقيguards against أَنto يَستَشيرَseek counsel وَيَبحَثاand pry
لا يَتَّقي أَن يَستَشيرَ وَيَبحَثا
And have you not marveled at a friend of mine, whose malice
Are you not surprised that a friend whose wickedness
Does not scruple to seek counsel and pry?
Knows no bounds should ask advice or ponder?
أَعياbaffled التُقاةَthe pious فَماso does not تَلينُbend قَناتُهُhis spear-shaft
أَعيا التُقاةَ فَما تَلينُ قَناتُهُ
وَعَصَتand defied أَفاعيهِhis vipers الرُقاةَthe charmers النُفَّثاwho blow spells
وَعَصَت أَفاعيهِ الرُقاةَ النُفَّثا
He has baffled the pious; his spear-shaft will not bend,
He shuns all piety so his rigid mind will not relent,
And his vipers defied the spell-blowing charmers.
And his vipers spurn the charmers’ murmurings.
ذَهَبَdeparted القَديمُthe old مِنَof المَوَدَّةِaffection خالِصاًunalloyed
ذَهَبَ القَديمُ مِنَ المَوَدَّةِ خالِصاً
وَاِستَبدَلَand substituted الإِخوانُfriends وُدّاًlove مُحدَثاnew-made
وَاِستَبدَلَ الإِخوانُ وُدّاً مُحدَثا
The old, unalloyed affection has departed,
The old affection we shared is wholly gone,
And friends have replaced it with a new-made love.
And the new love of comrades has taken its place.
يَعلوhe rises عَلَيَّover me إِذاwhen وَصَلتُI joined حِبالَهُhis cords
يَعلو عَلَيَّ إِذا وَصَلتُ حِبالَهُ
فَإِذاbut when قَطَعتُI cut الحَبلَthe cord مِنهُfrom him تَشَبَّثاhe clung
فَإِذا قَطَعتُ الحَبلَ مِنهُ تَشَبَّثا
He lords it over me when I join his cords;
He lords it over me whenever I seek his favor,
But when I cut the cord with him, he clings.
Yet when I shun him, desperately he clings to me,
إِنif يَحمِلَhe carries الأَخبارَthe news يَنقُلhe moves نَفسَهُhimself
إِن يَحمِلَ الأَخبارَ يَنقُل نَفسَهُ
حَتّىuntil يَظَلَّhe keeps بِسِرِّهاabout its secret مُتَحَدِّثاtalking
حَتّى يَظَلَّ بِسِرِّها مُتَحَدِّثا
If he carries news, he sets himself moving,
Bearing news, his own soul he risks,
Until he spends the day talking about its secret.
Just so with secrets he can regale and spin his tales.
مُتَهَكِّمٌmocking بِالسِرِّat secrecy لَيسَthere is no بِعَقلِهِin his mind
مُتَهَكِّمٌ بِالسِرِّ لَيسَ بِعَقلِهِ
رَتَقٌa sealing stitch إِذاwhen غَفَلَare heedless الرِجالُmen تَنَكَّثاhe unravels
رَتَقٌ إِذا غَفَلَ الرِجالُ تَنَكَّثا
He scoffs at secrecy; his mind has no
He jests but his mockery stirs the soul to rage,
Sealing stitch; when men are heedless, he unravels.
And would wound the hearts of any who heard.
عُريانُbare مِنof حُلَلِrobes الجَلالَةِdignity وَالتُقىand piety
عُريانُ مِن حُلَلِ الجَلالَةِ وَالتُقى
لَمdid not يَحوِpossess مِنof كَرَمِnobility الخَلائِفِthe caliphs مورِثاa legacy
لَم يَحوِ مِن كَرَمِ الخَلائِفِ مورِثا
Bare of the robes of dignity and piety,
Bare of the raiment of glory and righteous fear,
He has gained no legacy of the caliphs' nobility.
No inheritance of the Caliphs’ generosity did he inherit.
فيin مَزحِهِhis joking جَدٌّearnestness يَهيجُstirs لِسَمعِهِat hearing it
في مَزحِهِ جَدٌّ يَهيجُ لِسَمعِهِ
داءُan illness لصُدورِof hearts عَلَيهِagainst him حَتّىuntil يَنفُثاhe spits out
داءُ لصُدورِ عَلَيهِ حَتّى يَنفُثا
In his joking lies earnestness; hearing it arouses
Was he not just one of the roving hordes
A sickness in hearts against him, until he spits it out.
Who preyed on me with baseness and presumption?
هَلwhether كانَhe was إِلّاexcept بَعضَpart of مَيلِan onslaught كَتائِبٍbattalions
هَل كانَ إِلّا بَعضَ مَيلِ كَتائِبٍ
رَعياtending عَلَيَّupon me تَقَصُّفاًsplintering وَتَشَعُّثاand disarray
رَعيا عَلَيَّ تَقَصُّفاً وَتَشَعُّثا
Was he anything but part of the battalions' onslaught,
He deserves a blow or a cast of stones
Tending me with splintering and disarray?
To drive from me the most wretched and vile.
وَجَبَتbecame due عَلَيهِto him كَسرَةٌa breaking أَوor رَميَةٌa throw
وَجَبَت عَلَيهِ كَسرَةٌ أَو رَميَةٌ
أَنفيI drive away بِهاwith it عَنّيfrom me الأَقَلَّthe paltriest الأَخبَثاthe vilest
أَنفي بِها عَنّي الأَقَلَّ الأَخبَثا
A breaking or a throw was his due,
And you who falsely claim to be my amanuensis -
With which I drive from me the paltriest, vilest one.
By night naught can be seen but your frantic scrawling.
وَرَجَعتَand you returned مُنتَحِلَclaiming الكِتابَةِthe craft of writing لاnot تُرىyou are seen
وَرَجَعتَ مُنتَحِلَ الكِتابَةِ لا تُرى
فيin اللَيلِthe night إِلّاexcept ماضِياًgoing about مُتَعَبِّثاmaking mischief
في اللَيلِ إِلّا ماضِياً مُتَعَبِّثا
And you returned, claiming the craft of writing, never seen
At night except going about, making mischief.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.