قالوا جَزِعتَ فَقُلتُ إِنَّ مُصيبَةً

جَلَّت رَزِيَّتُها وَضاقَ المَذهَبُ

They said you were grieved, so I replied: “Yes, a calamity

Whose severity was great and the way was narrow.

كَيفَ العَزاءُ وَقَد مَضى لِسَبيلِهِ

عَنّا فَوَدَّعنا الأَحَمُّ الأَشهَبُ

How can there be solace when the most beloved one

Has left us, bidding us farewell, the hoary elder!

دَبَّ الوُشاةُ فَباعَدوهُ وَرُبَّما

بَعُدَ الفَتى وَهوَ الحَبيبُ الأَقرَبُ

The talebearers set out and took him far away, though oftentimes

A loved one, even if near, may still seem far.

لِلَّهِ يَومَ غَدَوتَ عَنّي ظاعِناً

وَسُلِبتُ قُربكَ أَيَّ عِلق أسلّبُ

By God! The day you went from me wandering

And I was deprived of your nearness—what loss can I make good?

نَفسي مُقَسَّمَةٌ أَقامَ فَريقُها

وَغَدا لِطِيَّتِهِ فَريق يُجنِبُ

My soul is divided: one part stays

While the other on the morrow goes its own way.

الآنَ إِذ كَمَلَت أَداتُكَ كُلُّها

وَدَعا العُيونَ إِلَيكَ لَونٌ مُعجِبُ

Now when your furnishings are complete

And a fascinating hue calls eyes to you,

وَاختيرَ مِن سِرِّ الحَدايِدِ خَيرها

لَكَ خالِصاً وَمِنَ الحُلِيِّ الأَغرَبُ

When the best iron is chosen for you

Unpolished, and the rarest bracelets,

وَغَدَوتَ طَنَّان اللِّجامِ كَأَنَّما

في كُلِّ عُضوٍ مِنك صنجٌ يُضرَبُ

When you jangle the bridle bits as though

Bells were ringing in your every limb,

وَكَأَنَّ سَرجَكَ إِذ عَلاكَ غَمامَةٌ

وَكَأَنَّما تَحتَ الغَمامَةِ كَوكَبُ

When a cloud envelops you like a canopy

And you seem a star beneath the canopy,

وَرَأى عَلَيَّ بِكَ الصَّديقُ مَهابَةً

وَغَدا العَدُوُّ وَصَدرُهُ يَتَلَهَّبُ

My friend saw in you a reverence toward me

While my foe’s breast burned with enmity,

أَنساكَ لا بَرِحَت إِذنَ مَنسِيَّة

نَفسي وَلا زالَت بِمِثلِكَ تُنكَبُ

I can never forget you so long as

My soul continues remembering you.

أَضمَرتُ مِنكَ اليَأسَ حينَ رَأَيتَني

وَقُوى حِبالِكَ مِن قوايَ تقضَّبُ

When I saw myself grown old and weak

While your ropes gained strength from my sinews,

وَرَجَعتُ حينَ رَجَعت مِنك بِحَسرَةٍ

لِلَّهِ ما صَنَعَ الأَصَمُّ الأَشيَبُ

I returned crestfallen when I returned from you.

By God! That deaf greybeard has done me wrong!

فَلتَعلَمَن أَلَّا تَزالُ عَداوَةٌ

عِندي مريَّضَةٌ وَثَأرٌ يُطلَبُ

So let it be known: lasting hostility

Lies in wait within me, and vengeance is sought.

يا صاحِبَيَّ لِمِثلِ ذا مَن أَمرهُ

صَحِبَ الفَتى في دَهرِهِ مَن يَصحَبُ

My companion! Who but you in such a case

Could befriend a man throughout his life?

إِن تُسعدا فَصَنيعَةٌ مَشكورَةٌ

أَو تخذلا فَصَنيعَةٌ لا تَذهَبُ

If you brought good fortune, ‘twas a kindness

Rewarded; if not, no kindness goes amiss.

عِوجا نُقَضِّ حاجَةً وَتَجَنَّبا

بَثَّ الحَديثِ فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ أَعجَبُ

Upright, you granted my request and avoided

Spreading tales—yes, that is best.

لا تُشعِرا بِكُما الأَحَمَّ فَإِنَّهُ

وَأَبيكُما الصَّدعُ الَّذي لا يُرأَبُ

Do not let that old fool know of us,

For the hopeless have no plea to make before him.

أَو تَطوِيا عَنهُ الحَديثَ فَإِنَّهُ

أَدنى لِأَسبابِ الرَّشادِ وَأَقرَبُ

Or else suppress talk of him, for that

Is nearer to wisdom’s path, and preferable.

لا تُشعِراهُ بِنا فَلَيسَ لِذي هَوى

نَشكو إلَيهِ عِنده مُستَعتَبُ

Do not inform him of us, for the lovestruck

Have no complaint that he would recognize.

وَقِفا فَقولا مَرحَباً وَتَزَوَّدا

نَظَراً وَقَلَّ لِمَن يُحَبُّ المرحَبُ

Stop, bid him hello, then take your leave,

Sparing your glance, which pleases little the welcomed one.

مَنَعَ الرَّقادَ جَوى تَضَمَّنَهُ الحَشا

وَهَوى أكابِدهُ وَهَمٌ مُنصِبُ

Sleep was denied me by the burning of love’s ember

Enveloping my deeper self, and worries ever building.

وَصَبا إِلى الحانِ الفُؤادُ وَشاقَهُ

شَخصٌ هُناكَ إِلى الفُؤادِ مُحَبَّبُ

My heart inclined toward the tavern throng and passion clave it—

There a form toward my heart appealing was beloved.

فَكَما بَقيتُ لِتَبقَيَنَّ لِذِكرِهِ

كَبِد مُفَرَّثَة وَعَينٌ تَسكُبُ

So long as I live, his memory too shall live

A shredded liver, an ever-pouring eye!