طَرِبَ الفُؤادُ وَلَيتَهُ لَم يَطرَبِ

طَرِبَ الفُؤادُ وَلَيتَهُ لَم يَطرَبِ

وَعَناهُ ذِكرى خُلَّةٍ لَم تَصقَبِ

وَعَناهُ ذِكرى خُلَّةٍ لَم تَصقَبِ

My heart stirred with longing—would that it had not stirred;

My heart was troubled, would that it had not been troubled,

And the memory of a beloved who was not near tormented it.

And was concerned with the memory of a dear friend long gone.

سَفهاً وَلَو أَنّي أَطَعتُ عَواذِلي

سَفهاً وَلَو أَنّي أَطَعتُ عَواذِلي

فيما يُشِرنَ بِهِ بِسَفحِ المِذنَبِ

فيما يُشِرنَ بِهِ بِسَفحِ المِذنَبِ

Foolishly! Had I obeyed the women who reproached me

Foolishly, had I but heeded the admonitions of my censurers

In what they advised at the foot of al-Midhnab,

Regarding that which they indicate at the foot of the winding path.

لَزَجَرتُ قَلباً لا يَريعُ لِزاجِرٍ

لَزَجَرتُ قَلباً لا يَريعُ لِزاجِرٍ

إِنَّ الغَويَّ إِذا نُهي لَم يُعتِبِ

إِنَّ الغَويَّ إِذا نُهي لَم يُعتِبِ

I would have restrained a heart that yields to no rebuker;

I would have restrained a heart that pays no heed to restraint.

Indeed, the wayward man, when forbidden, makes no amends.

For the willful, when forbidden, does not reproach.

فَتَعَزَّ عَن هَذا وَقُل في غَيرِهِ

فَتَعَزَّ عَن هَذا وَقُل في غَيرِهِ

وَاِذكُر شَمائِلَ مِن أَخيكَ المُنجِبِ

وَاِذكُر شَمائِلَ مِن أَخيكَ المُنجِبِ

So console yourself over this, and speak of something else;

So refrain from this, and speak of other things,

And recount some virtues of your distinguished brother.

And recall the fine qualities of your generous brother.

يا أَربَدَ الخَيرِ الكَريمَ جُدودُهُ

يا أَربَدَ الخَيرِ الكَريمَ جُدودُهُ

أَفرَدتَني أَمشي بِقَرنٍ أَعضَبِ

أَفرَدتَني أَمشي بِقَرنٍ أَعضَبِ

O good Arbad, whose forefathers were noble,

O noblest pillar of the generous, your forefathers before you,

You left me alone, walking with a broken horn.

You have left me to walk with a limping companion.

إِنَّ الرَزِيَّةَ لا رَزِيَّةَ مِثلُها

إِنَّ الرَزِيَّةَ لا رَزِيَّةَ مِثلُها

فِقدانُ كُلِّ أَخٍ كَضَوءِ الكَوكَبِ

فِقدانُ كُلِّ أَخٍ كَضَوءِ الكَوكَبِ

Indeed, the calamity that no calamity can equal

For the calamity—there is no calamity like it—

Is the loss of any brother radiant as starlight.

Is the loss of each brother, like the setting of a planet.

ذَهَبَ الَّذينَ يُعاشُ في أَكنافِهِم

ذَهَبَ الَّذينَ يُعاشُ في أَكنافِهِم

وَبَقيتُ في خَلفٍ كَجِلدِ الأَجرَبِ

وَبَقيتُ في خَلفٍ كَجِلدِ الأَجرَبِ

Gone are those in whose shelter one could live,

Gone are those in whose shelter I found refuge,

And I remain among unworthy successors, like a mangy creature's skin.

Leaving me among those who slough their skin like a lizard.

يَتَأَكَّلونَ مَغالَةً وَخِيانَةً

يَتَأَكَّلونَ مَغالَةً وَخِيانَةً

وَيُعابُ قائِلُهُم وَإِن لَم يَشغَبِ

وَيُعابُ قائِلُهُم وَإِن لَم يَشغَبِ

They prey on others through deceit and treachery;

They practice hypocrisy and betrayal,

And their speaker is censured, even if he stirs no strife.

And he who speaks against them is blamed, though he did no wrong.

وَلَقَد أَراني تارَةً مِن جَعفَرٍ

وَلَقَد أَراني تارَةً مِن جَعفَرٍ

في مِثلِ غَيثِ الوابِلِ المُتَحَلَّبِ

في مِثلِ غَيثِ الوابِلِ المُتَحَلَّبِ

And indeed, I recall myself once among Ja'far,

And Ja'far once showed me as a downpour shows

As though amid a heavy, streaming rain,

The furrows of plowed land softened into mud.

مِن كُلِّ كَهلٍ كَالسِنانِ وَسَيِّدٍ

مِن كُلِّ كَهلٍ كَالسِنانِ وَسَيِّدٍ

صَعبِ المَقادَةِ كَالفَنيقِ المُصعَبِ

صَعبِ المَقادَةِ كَالفَنيقِ المُصعَبِ

From every man in his prime, like a spearpoint, and every chief

From every elder stern as a spear and lord

Hard to lead, like a prized, unbroken bull camel,

Difficult to reach like the distant Phoenix.

مِن مَعشَرٍ سَنَّت لَهُم آباؤُهُم

مِن مَعشَرٍ سَنَّت لَهُم آباؤُهُم

وَالعِزُّ قَد يَأتي بِغَيرِ تَطَلُّبِ

وَالعِزُّ قَد يَأتي بِغَيرِ تَطَلُّبِ

Of a people whose forefathers laid down customs for them—

From a tribe whose fathers established for them

And honor may come without seeking it.

Glory, which comes without having to seek it.

فَبَرى عِظامي بَعدَ لَحمِيَ فَقدُهُم

فَبَرى عِظامي بَعدَ لَحمِيَ فَقدُهُم

وَالدَهرُ إِن عاتَبتُ لَيسَ بِمُعتِبِ

وَالدَهرُ إِن عاتَبتُ لَيسَ بِمُعتِبِ

So their loss wore away my bones, after wasting my flesh;

So my bones saw me, when their flesh was gone, bereft of them,

And Time, if I reproach it, will not make amends.

For time, were I to reproach it, is no reproacher.