أَلا رُبَّ فِتيانٍ كَأَنَّ وُجوهَهُم

أَلا رُبَّ فِتيانٍ كَأَنَّ وُجوهَهُم

كَواكِبُ لَيلِ غابَ عَنهُ هِلالُهُ

كَواكِبُ لَيلِ غابَ عَنهُ هِلالُهُ

Ah, many are the young men whose faces are like

Behold, many young men whose faces

the stars of a night whose crescent has vanished.

Were like stars, now their crescent has set.

أَنخَت رَجائي في فِناءِ إِخائِهِم

أَنخَت رَجائي في فِناءِ إِخائِهِم

فَما زالَ مَمدوداً عَلَيهِ ظِلالُهُ

فَما زالَ مَمدوداً عَلَيهِ ظِلالُهُ

I made my hope kneel in the courtyard of their brotherhood,

My hopes sank as their brotherhood ended;

And its shades remained spread over it.

Its shade, which sheltered me, is gone.

وَذُقتُهُم في السُخطِ مِنهُم وَفي الرِضا

وَذُقتُهُم في السُخطِ مِنهُم وَفي الرِضا

فَما ذُقتُ إِلّا مَن حَلَت لي خِصالُهُ

فَما ذُقتُ إِلّا مَن حَلَت لي خِصالُهُ

And I tasted them in their displeasure and in their contentment;

In joy or in rage, their bitterness I've tasted,

I tasted only those whose qualities were sweet to me.

But no taste was as sweet as when we were close.

إِذا جِئتَ مِنُ سَيِّداً تَستَميحُهُ

إِذا جِئتَ مِنُ سَيِّداً تَستَميحُهُ

أَنالَكَ ما تَرَجّوهُ مِنهُ نَوالُهُ

أَنالَكَ ما تَرَجّوهُ مِنهُ نَوالُهُ

If you come to a lord among them, seeking his bounty,

When asking a favor from your master,

His generosity grants you what you hope for from him.

Speak courteously; fulfillment will come your way.

إِذا المَرءُ مِنهُ كانَ جاراً لِسَيِّدٍ

إِذا المَرءُ مِنهُ كانَ جاراً لِسَيِّدٍ

وَأِسقَمَهُ الأَعداءُ عافاهُ ما لُهُ

وَأِسقَمَهُ الأَعداءُ عافاهُ ما لُهُ

If a man is a neighbor to a lord among them,

When serving your master loyally,

And enemies sicken him, his wealth heals him.

In sickness or health, stand by his side.