يا من له ود صفا من كدر

يا من له ود صفا من كدر

وطلعة يخجل منها القمر

وطلعة يخجل منها القمر

O you whose affection is free of taint,

O you whose affection is pure and free from bitterness

and whose countenance makes the moon blush;

And whose appearance puts the moon to shame

ويا ابن من راحته مزنة

ويا ابن من راحته مزنة

وبشره حلو يروق البشر

وبشره حلو يروق البشر

and O son of one whose palm is a raincloud,

O son of one whose comfort is a pleasure

and whose sweet cheerfulness delights humankind.

And whose cheerful face delights people

غيرك صفر العين مستحكر

غيرك صفر العين مستحكر

يأخذ مني كارتي عن صفر

يأخذ مني كارتي عن صفر

Another than you is empty-eyed, a hoarder,

Unlike others whose eyes are empty and lustful

who takes my bundle from me for nothing.

Who take my card when I have nothing

وأنت ذو وجه إذا قابلت

وأنت ذو وجه إذا قابلت

حياءه نظرة عين قطر

حياءه نظرة عين قطر

And you have a face that, when

You have a face that when I look upon it

an eye’s glance meets its modesty, drips.

My gaze is lowered in shyness

والشارب الخباز ذو حولة

والشارب الخباز ذو حولة

يخرج من وحشتها بالعور

يخرج من وحشتها بالعور

And al-Shārib, the baker, has a squint;

With a mustache that astonishes

he escapes its ugliness through one-eyedness,

Emerging from its frightfulness in beauty

بنكهة يعجن منها

بنكهة يعجن منها

وشارب يقذر منه القذر

وشارب يقذر منه القذر

with breath from which he kneads dough,

With a flavor that he kneads from it

and a moustache that disgusts filth itself.

And a mustache that even the vilest find repulsive

يحلف والله على قرصة

يحلف والله على قرصة

منها ويدري أنه قد فجر

منها ويدري أنه قد فجر

He swears, “By God,” over a round loaf

He swears by God over a morsel from it

of it, knowing he has sworn falsely:

And knows that he has erred

ألف يمين وهو في مكة

ألف يمين وهو في مكة

والحجر من جانبه والحجر

والحجر من جانبه والحجر

a thousand oaths, while he is in Mecca,

A thousand oaths while in Mecca

with the Hijr beside him, and the Stone.

With the Black Stone beside him and the Black Stone

فقصر الرحمن في عمره

فقصر الرحمن في عمره

ولا نما عمر أخيه عمر

ولا نما عمر أخيه عمر

So may the Merciful shorten his life,

So the Merciful has shortened his life

and may his brother ʿUmar’s life not grow longer.

And not prolonged the life of his brother

فإنه أكفر منه ومن

فإنه أكفر منه ومن

قال سوى ما قلت فيه كفر

قال سوى ما قلت فيه كفر

For he is more unbelieving than the other; and whoever

For he is more blasphemous than him and than

says other than what I said of him has disbelieved.

Anyone who says other than what I have said of him is blasphemous

فإن تفضلت ونفذتها

فإن تفضلت ونفذتها

فما على المحسن يوما ضرر

فما على المحسن يوما ضرر

So if you show kindness and send it along,

If you are kind enough to grant it

no harm ever befalls a benefactor.

A benefactor is never harmed one day

وإن توانيت فلا حيلة

وإن توانيت فلا حيلة

قد ينضب السيل ويجفو المطر

قد ينضب السيل ويجفو المطر

And if you delay, there is no recourse:

And if you refrain, there is no help for it

a torrent may run dry, and rain may turn away.

The torrent may dry up and the rain cease