وَصاحِبٌ لا أَمَلُّ الدَّهْرَ صُحْبَتَهُ

وَصاحِبٌ لا أَمَلُّ الدَّهْرَ صُحْبَتَهُ

يَشقى لِنَفعي وَأَجني ضرَّهُ بِيدي

يَشقى لِنَفعي وَأَجني ضرَّهُ بِيدي

And a companion whose company I never tire of, all my life:

A friend whom I do not hope companionship with forever

He toils for my benefit, and with my own hand I bring him harm.

He suffers for my benefit and I ward off harm from him with my hand

أَدنى إِلى القَلبِ مِن سَمعي وَمِن بَصَري

أَدنى إِلى القَلبِ مِن سَمعي وَمِن بَصَري

وَمِن تِلادي وَمِن مالي وَمِن وَلَدي

وَمِن تِلادي وَمِن مالي وَمِن وَلَدي

Nearer to my heart than my hearing and my sight,

Closer to my heart than my hearing, my sight

And than my inherited possessions, my wealth, and my children.

And my family, my money, and my child

أَخلو بِبَثّي مِن خالٍ بِوَجنَتِهِ

أَخلو بِبَثّي مِن خالٍ بِوَجنَتِهِ

مِدادُهُ زايدُ التقصيرِ لِلمَددِ

مِدادُهُ زايدُ التقصيرِ لِلمَددِ

I withdraw with my sorrow over a mole upon his cheek;

I confide my troubles to him, an intimate without blame in his intimacy

Its ink increasingly cuts short the spans of time.

His ink compensates for my shortcomings with help

لَم أَلقَهُ مُذْ تَصاحَبنا فَحينَ بَدا

لَم أَلقَهُ مُذْ تَصاحَبنا فَحينَ بَدا

لِنَاظِرَيَّ اِفتَرقْنا فُرْقةَ الأبَدِ

لِنَاظِرَيَّ اِفتَرقْنا فُرْقةَ الأبَدِ

I had not seen him since we became companions; then, when he appeared

I have not met him since we became friends, so when

Before my eyes, we parted for all eternity.

We parted before my eyes, it was the parting of eternity