أَخٌ لِيَ مِن سَعدِ بنِ نَبهانَ طالَما

أَخٌ لِيَ مِن سَعدِ بنِ نَبهانَ طالَما

جَرى الدَهرُ لي مِن فَضلِ جَدواهُ بِالسَعدِ

جَرى الدَهرُ لي مِن فَضلِ جَدواهُ بِالسَعدِ

A brother of mine, of Sa'd ibn Nabhan—how often

A brother to me from Saad ibn Nabhan, how long

has time brought me good fortune through his abundant bounty!

Fortune has run for me from the merit of his friendship with good fortune,

تَقَيَّلَ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ سَجِيَّةً

تَقَيَّلَ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ سَجِيَّةً

مِنَ المَجدِ تِمّاً بَل تَزيدُ عَلى المَجدِ

مِنَ المَجدِ تِمّاً بَل تَزيدُ عَلى المَجدِ

He took after Abd al-Aziz in a disposition

He has come down from Abd al-Aziz as a glorious deed,

of consummate nobility—nay, surpassing nobility itself.

From glory complete, rather exceeding glory,

وَما قَبُحَ المَعروفُ إِلّا غَدا اِسمُهُ

وَما قَبُحَ المَعروفُ إِلّا غَدا اِسمُهُ

عَلَيَّ فَكانَ اِسماً لِمَعروفِهِ عِندي

عَلَيَّ فَكانَ اِسماً لِمَعروفِهِ عِندي

And kindness never grew ugly, except that its name came to be

And not ugliness to kindness except tomorrow his name

upon me; thus it became a name for his kindness in my eyes.

Upon me so his name was to his kindness with me,

فَدَتكَ أَبا الخَطّابِ نَفسي مِنَ الرَدى

فَدَتكَ أَبا الخَطّابِ نَفسي مِنَ الرَدى

وَلازِلتَ تُفدى بِالنُفوسِ وَلا تَفدي

وَلازِلتَ تُفدى بِالنُفوسِ وَلا تَفدي

May my soul ransom you from death, Abu al-Khattab,

May you ransom Abu al-Khattab my soul from loss

and may you ever be ransomed with souls, never ransoming others.

And you continue to be ransomed with souls and not ransom,

فَلِلرَقَّةِ البَيضاءِ يَومَ اِجتِماعِنا

فَلِلرَقَّةِ البَيضاءِ يَومَ اِجتِماعِنا

يَدٌ لَكَ بَيضاءٌ يَقِلُّ لَها حَمدي

يَدٌ لَكَ بَيضاءٌ يَقِلُّ لَها حَمدي

For white al-Raqqa, on the day of our meeting,

For the white softness the day we gathered

there is a white hand of yours, for which my praise is too little.

A white hand for you, my praise falls short for it,

أَحينَ تَدانينا عَلى نَأيِ أَزمُنٍ

أَحينَ تَدانينا عَلى نَأيِ أَزمُنٍ

مَضَت وَتَلاقَينا عَلى قِدَمِ العَهدِ

مَضَت وَتَلاقَينا عَلى قِدَمِ العَهدِ

Is it now, when we have drawn close despite ages apart

When we came close in the remoteness of eras

now past, and met again despite the age of our bond,

Past and we met at the foot of the covenant,

وَأَولَيتَ مِن إِحسانِكَ الجَمِّ نائِلاً

وَأَولَيتَ مِن إِحسانِكَ الجَمِّ نائِلاً

يُذَكِّرُني ما قَد نَسيتُ مِنَ الوُدِّ

يُذَكِّرُني ما قَد نَسيتُ مِنَ الوُدِّ

and you have bestowed a gift from your abundant kindness,

And you granted from your perfect bounty I attained

reminding me of the affection I had forgotten,

Reminding me what I forgot from affection,

تَمادَيتَ في الشُغلِ الَّذي أَنتَ فارِغٌ

تَمادَيتَ في الشُغلِ الَّذي أَنتَ فارِغٌ

بِهِ وَجَفَوتَ الراحَ في زَمَنِ الوَردِ

بِهِ وَجَفَوتَ الراحَ في زَمَنِ الوَردِ

that you have persisted in an occupation, though you are idle

You persisted in the work which you had set aside

in it, and shunned wine in the season of roses?

And neglected comfort in the season of flowers,

إِذا ما تَقاطَعنا وَنَحنُ بِبَلدَةٍ

إِذا ما تَقاطَعنا وَنَحنُ بِبَلدَةٍ

فَما فَضلُ قُربِ الدارِ مِنّا عَلى البُعدِ

فَما فَضلُ قُربِ الدارِ مِنّا عَلى البُعدِ

If ever we cut each other off while in one town,

When we severed ties and we were in a town

what advantage has a home's nearness to us over its distance?

So the nearness of the house was no different for us than remoteness.