كم تظن الظنونَ غيرَ مصيبِ

كم تظن الظنونَ غيرَ مصيبِ

انَّ حسنَ الظنون سوءُ الحالِ

انَّ حسنَ الظنون سوءُ الحالِ

How often you entertain hopes, missing the mark!

How much do you think vain thoughts hit not the mark!

Indeed, fair hopes are a wretched state.

Good thoughts in evil plight will naught avail.

تَغتدى ناقصَ الحظوظِ من الجَدْ

تَغتدى ناقصَ الحظوظِ من الجَدْ

دِ وتمسى عند المُنى في كمالِ

دِ وتمسى عند المُنى في كمالِ

You rise with scant shares of good fortune,

By day the luckless dreams of fortune's guiles,

and by evening, in your wishes, you have everything.

By night his hopes are crowned with full success;

أَجتنى شهدَها بظنى ولكنْ

أَجتنى شهدَها بظنى ولكنْ

نَ فمى من مذاقِها في خَيالِ

نَ فمى من مذاقِها في خَيالِ

I gather their honey in my thoughts, and yet

I won the taste of it in fancy's dream,

my mouth knows their taste only in imagination.

But when I woke no taste thereof remained.

فكأَنى في ذا وذاكَ بنو حم

فكأَنى في ذا وذاكَ بنو حم

دان يومَ الندى ويومَ النزالِ

دان يومَ الندى ويومَ النزالِ

So, in this and that, I am like the sons of Hamdan,

So Benu Hamdan on the battle morn

on the day of generosity and the day of battle.

And day of treaty show themselves as lions brave,

قتلوا مالَهم وكانوا على الاب

قتلوا مالَهم وكانوا على الاب

طال شراً منهم على الاموالِ

طال شراً منهم على الاموالِ

They slew their wealth, and against the champions

Their wealth they sacrifice, themselves they give

were fiercer than they were against their riches.

More lavishly than gifts of mine and goods.