شَرِبْنَا مِنْ سَرِيٍّ يَحْمَدِيِّ

شَرِبْنَا مِنْ سَرِيٍّ يَحْمَدِيِّ

وِدَاداً فِي الْقَدِيمِ بِغَيْرِ شَيِّ

وِدَاداً فِي الْقَدِيمِ بِغَيْرِ شَيِّ

We drank from a noble Yahmadi

We drank from a flask, my companion

We drank from a noble man of Al-Yahmad,

affection long ago, with nothing in exchange

Affection in the past without any ill

a deep affection in times past, demanding nothing in return,

سِوَى عَهْدٍ قَدِيمٍ قَدْ تَقَضَّى

سِوَى عَهْدٍ قَدِيمٍ قَدْ تَقَضَّى

بِمَعْرِفَةٍ خَلَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ غَيِّ

بِمَعْرِفَةٍ خَلَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ غَيِّ

save an old bond from bygone days

Except an old covenant already fulfilled

save for an ancient covenant that had passed between us,

of acquaintance free from all wrongdoing.

With understanding devoid of any wrong

rooted in an acquaintance utterly free of deception.

فَمَا وُجِدَتْ بِِمَضْيَعَةٍ لَدَيْهِ

فَمَا وُجِدَتْ بِِمَضْيَعَةٍ لَدَيْهِ

وَلَكِنْ صَانَهَا صَوْنَ الْحُلِيِّ

وَلَكِنْ صَانَهَا صَوْنَ الْحُلِيِّ

It was not left neglected in his care;

So it was not found wasted with him

This bond was never left to waste under his care,

rather, he guarded it as one guards jewelry.

But he protected it, protecting fine pearls

but rather he guarded it as one safeguards precious jewels.

وَزَيَّنَهَا بِإِخْلاَصٍ وَصِدْقٍ

وَزَيَّنَهَا بِإِخْلاَصٍ وَصِدْقٍ

كَمَا زَانَ الْقَصَائِدَ بِالرَّوِيِّ

كَمَا زَانَ الْقَصَائِدَ بِالرَّوِيِّ

And he adorned it with sincerity and truthfulness,

And adorned it with pure sincerity

He adorned it with utmost sincerity and truth,

as he adorned poems with their rhyme-letter.

As embellished poems with excellent meter

just as poems are adorned by their rhyming consonant.

تَعَهَّدَهَا وَلَمْ يَجْدِبْ ثَرَاهَا

تَعَهَّدَهَا وَلَمْ يَجْدِبْ ثَرَاهَا

بِِوَسْمِيِّ التَّوَدُّدِ وَالْوَلِِيِّ

بِِوَسْمِيِّ التَّوَدُّدِ وَالْوَلِِيِّ

He tended it, and its soil did not grow barren,

He tended it without making its meadows barren

He tended to it, never allowing its soil to run barren,

with affection's first rain and the rain that followed.

With a branding of intimacy and loyalty

watering it with the early and continuous rains of affection.

فَأَنْبَتَتِ الأَزَاهِرَ فِي صَفَاءٍ

فَأَنْبَتَتِ الأَزَاهِرَ فِي صَفَاءٍ

تَنِمُّ بِنُصْحِ ذِي مِقَةٍ صَفِيِّ

تَنِمُّ بِنُصْحِ ذِي مِقَةٍ صَفِيِّ

So it brought forth flowers in purity,

So it sprouted flowers in serenity

Thus, it brought forth blossoms in pure serenity,

telling of the goodwill of a loving, true friend.

Flourishing with the advice of a sincere intimate

exhaling the sincere goodwill of a devoted, pure-hearted friend.

جَزَاهُ اللهُ خَيْراً فَهْوَ أَهْلٌ

جَزَاهُ اللهُ خَيْراً فَهْوَ أَهْلٌ

لِِخَيْرِ اللهِ ذِي الطَّوْلِ الْغَنِيِّ

لِِخَيْرِ اللهِ ذِي الطَّوْلِ الْغَنِيِّ

May God reward him with good, for he is worthy

May God reward him well, for he is deserving

May Allah reward him with goodness, for he is truly worthy

of the goodness of God, the Bountiful, the Self-Sufficient.

Of the abundant goodness of the Most High

of the blessings of Allah, the Lord of Bounty, the Self-Sufficient.

وَعَامَلَهُ بِمَا يُرْضِي عُلاَهُ

وَعَامَلَهُ بِمَا يُرْضِي عُلاَهُ

عُلاً لَمْ يُرْضِهَا غَيْرُ الْعَلِيِّ

عُلاً لَمْ يُرْضِهَا غَيْرُ الْعَلِيِّ

And may He treat him in a way that satisfies his loftiness—

And dealt with Him in what pleases His Loftiness

And may He treat him in a manner that pleases his eminence—

a loftiness none but the Most High has satisfied.

A Loftiness none but the Sublime pleases

an eminence that none but the Most High could ever satisfy.

فَذَاكَ الْمَرْءُ وَهْوَ حَلِيفُ صِدْقٍ

فَذَاكَ الْمَرْءُ وَهْوَ حَلِيفُ صِدْقٍ

حَقِيقٌ أَنْ يُهَنَّأَ بِالْهَنِِيِّ

حَقِيقٌ أَنْ يُهَنَّأَ بِالْهَنِِيِّ

For that man, who is an ally of truth,

Thus that man, and he is a sincere ally

For that is a man who stands as a sworn ally of truth,

deserves to be congratulated on his good fortune.

Truthfully deserves to be congratulated

truly deserving to be graced with every joyful blessing.