وقالوا ارتحل فلعل السلو

وقالوا ارتحل فلعل السلو

يكون وترغب أن ترغبه

يكون وترغب أن ترغبه

And they said, “Depart, for perhaps forgetfulness

They said, move on, perhaps solace

will come, and you will wish to seek it.”

will come, though you wish to chide it,

فقلت الردى لي قبل السلو

فقلت الردى لي قبل السلو

ومن يشرب السم عن تجربه

ومن يشرب السم عن تجربه

So I said, “For me, death comes before forgetfulness—

I said, ruin came to me before solace

and who drinks poison as an experiment?”

and who drinks poison through trial of it