هِيَ فُرقَةٌ مِن صاحِبٍ لَكَ ماجِدِ

هِيَ فُرقَةٌ مِن صاحِبٍ لَكَ ماجِدِ

فَغَداً إِذابَةُ كُلِّ دَمعٍ جامِدِ

فَغَداً إِذابَةُ كُلِّ دَمعٍ جامِدِ

It is a parting from a noble friend of yours.

It is a band from a friend of yours, O Majid

Tomorrow, then, every frozen tear will melt.

Tomorrow, when every frozen tear melts

فَاِفزَع إِلى ذُخرِ الشُؤونِ وَغَربِهِ

فَاِفزَع إِلى ذُخرِ الشُؤونِ وَغَربِهِ

فَالدَمعُ يُذهِبُ بَعضَ جَهدِ الجاهِدِ

فَالدَمعُ يُذهِبُ بَعضَ جَهدِ الجاهِدِ

So turn to the tear ducts' store and its torrent,

So take refuge in preparing for affairs and their setting

for tears ease some of the sufferer's distress.

For tears diminish some of the effort of the diligent

وَإِذا فَقَدتَ أَخاً وَلَم تَفقِد لَهُ

وَإِذا فَقَدتَ أَخاً وَلَم تَفقِد لَهُ

دَمعاً وَلا صَبراً فَلَستَ بِفاقِدِ

دَمعاً وَلا صَبراً فَلَستَ بِفاقِدِ

And if you lose a brother, yet for him lose neither

And if you lose a brother and do not lose

tears nor patience, then you are not bereft.

Tears or patience for him, then you have lost nothing

أَعَلِيُّ يا بنَ الجَهمِ إِنَّكَ دُفتَ لي

أَعَلِيُّ يا بنَ الجَهمِ إِنَّكَ دُفتَ لي

سَمّاً وَخَمراً في الزُلالِ البارِدِ

سَمّاً وَخَمراً في الزُلالِ البارِدِ

O Ali, son of al-Jahm, you have indeed mixed for me

O High One, O son of Jahm, you have poured for me

poison and wine in the cool, limpid water.

A drink and wine in the cool running water

لا تَبعَدَن أَبَداً وَلا تَبعُد فَما

لا تَبعَدَن أَبَداً وَلا تَبعُد فَما

أَخلاقُكَ الخُضرُ الرُبا بِأَباعِدِ

أَخلاقُكَ الخُضرُ الرُبا بِأَباعِدِ

May you never perish, nor be far away, for

Never stay too far nor be distant, your manners

your virtues, with their green hills, are not far away.

Are evergreen, fragrant even from afar

إِن يُكدُ مُطَّرَفُ الإِخاءِ فَإِنَّنا

إِن يُكدُ مُطَّرَفُ الإِخاءِ فَإِنَّنا

نَغدو وَنَسري في إِخاءٍ تالِدِ

نَغدو وَنَسري في إِخاءٍ تالِدِ

If newly acquired brotherhood should fail, then we

If the rain of brotherly love is scarce, we

go forth at dawn and travel by night in long-established brotherhood.

Go out and about in a longstanding brotherhood

أَو يَختَلِف ماءُ الوِصالِ فَماؤُنا

أَو يَختَلِف ماءُ الوِصالِ فَماؤُنا

عَذبٌ تَحَدَّرَ مِن غَمامٍ واحِدِ

عَذبٌ تَحَدَّرَ مِن غَمامٍ واحِدِ

Or if the water of fellowship differs, our water

Or if the water of connection differs, our water

is sweet, having flowed down from a single cloud.

Is sweet, flowing from one cloud

أَو يَفتَرِق نَسَبٌ يُؤَلِّفُ بَينَنا

أَو يَفتَرِق نَسَبٌ يُؤَلِّفُ بَينَنا

أَدَبٌ أَقَمناهُ مُقامَ الوالِدِ

أَدَبٌ أَقَمناهُ مُقامَ الوالِدِ

Or if our lineages differ, what unites us

Or a lineage that unites us parts,

is literature, which we have set in a father's place.

The discipline we established takes the place of a parent

لَو كُنتَ طَرفاً كُنتَ غَيرَ مُدافَعٍ

لَو كُنتَ طَرفاً كُنتَ غَيرَ مُدافَعٍ

لِلأَشقَرِ الجَعدِيِّ أَو لِلذائِدِ

لِلأَشقَرِ الجَعدِيِّ أَو لِلذائِدِ

If you were a noble steed, none would dispute your descent

If you were an onlooker, you would not defend

from al-Ja'di's Chestnut or from al-Dha'id.

Al-Ashqar the curly-haired or the opponent

أَو قَدَّمَتكَ السِنُّ خِلتُ بِأَنَّهُ

أَو قَدَّمَتكَ السِنُّ خِلتُ بِأَنَّهُ

مِن لَفظِكَ اِشتُقَّت بَلاغَةُ خالِدِ

مِن لَفظِكَ اِشتُقَّت بَلاغَةُ خالِدِ

Or had age placed you in an earlier time, I would have thought that

Or old age preceded you, I would say

Khalid's eloquence was derived from your words.

Eloquence itself was derived from your speech

أَو كُنتُ يَوماً بِالنُجومِ مُصَدِّقاً

أَو كُنتُ يَوماً بِالنُجومِ مُصَدِّقاً

لَزَعَمتُ أَنَّكَ أَنتَ بِكرُ عُطارِدِ

لَزَعَمتُ أَنَّكَ أَنتَ بِكرُ عُطارِدِ

Or if I ever put faith in the stars,

Or if I believed in the stars one day

I would surely claim that you yourself were Mercury's firstborn.

I would claim you to be Mercury itself

صَعبٌ فَإِن سومِحتَ كُنتَ مُسامِحاً

صَعبٌ فَإِن سومِحتَ كُنتَ مُسامِحاً

سَلِساً جَريرُكَ في يَمينِ القائِدِ

سَلِساً جَريرُكَ في يَمينِ القائِدِ

Unyielding, yet if treated generously, you are generous,

Difficult, so if you forgive, you would forgive smoothly

pliant, your lead-rope in the leader's right hand.

Flowing freely is your satire in the leader’s right hand

أُلبِستَ فَوقَ بَياضِ مَجدِكَ نِعمَةً

أُلبِستَ فَوقَ بَياضِ مَجدِكَ نِعمَةً

بَيضاءَ حَلَّت في سَوادِ الحاسِدِ

بَيضاءَ حَلَّت في سَوادِ الحاسِدِ

You have been clothed, over the whiteness of your glory, in a blessing

You were dressed above your glory in a blessing

white, lodged in the black of the envier's eye,

White that landed among the envy of the envious

وَمَوَدَّةً لا زَهَّدَت في راغِبٍ

وَمَوَدَّةً لا زَهَّدَت في راغِبٍ

يَوماً وَلا هِيَ رَغَّبَت في زاهِدِ

يَوماً وَلا هِيَ رَغَّبَت في زاهِدِ

and an affection that never prompted disdain for the eager,

And an affection that did not become ascetic with

on any day, nor did it stir desire for the indifferent.

A suitor one day, nor did it make an ascetic covet

غَنّاءُ لَيسَ بِمُنكَرٍ أَن يَغتَدي

غَنّاءُ لَيسَ بِمُنكَرٍ أَن يَغتَدي

في رَوضِها الراعي أَمامَ الرائِدِ

في رَوضِها الراعي أَمامَ الرائِدِ

Luxuriant—no wonder that at dawn

The singer is not ashamed that the shepherd breaks in

the shepherd goes forth in its meadow ahead of the pasture-scout.

Before the leader in her meadow

ما أَدَّعي لَكَ جانِباً مِن سُؤدُدٍ

ما أَدَّعي لَكَ جانِباً مِن سُؤدُدٍ

إِلّا وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ أَعدَلُ شاهِدِ

إِلّا وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ أَعدَلُ شاهِدِ

I claim no aspect of nobility for you

I do not claim any part of high status for you

but you yourself are its fairest witness.

Except that you are the most just of witnesses to it