يا خيرَ محتفظٍ لودّ حبيب

يا خيرَ محتفظٍ لودّ حبيب

وَأجلّ مغتفر لذنب منيبِ

وَأجلّ مغتفر لذنب منيبِ

O best keeper of a dear friend's affection,

O best preserver of a lover's affection,

And noblest pardoner of a penitent's sin,

And most forgiving pardoner of a repentant sinner's misdeeds,

أُنهي إِليك تحيّة ودّيّةً

أُنهي إِليك تحيّة ودّيّةً

ما وجهها من مكره بقطيبِ

ما وجهها من مكره بقطيبِ

I convey to you an affectionate greeting,

I send you a cordial greeting,

Whose face bears no frown of aversion.

With no ill intent from any foe.

خلصت خلوصَ التبرِ كرّر سبكهُ

خلصت خلوصَ التبرِ كرّر سبكهُ

في جاحمٍ من فادح التخريبِ

في جاحمٍ من فادح التخريبِ

It is pure as gold smelted time and again,

I have been purely devoted, repeating my dedication

In a blaze of grievous devastation.

Against the onslaught of ruinous devastation.

ما شانَها زبدٌ يزولُ جفاؤهُ

ما شانَها زبدٌ يزولُ جفاؤهُ

وَتَدوم بعد فناء كلّ مشوبِ

وَتَدوم بعد فناء كلّ مشوبِ

No froth whose scum passes away has sullied it,

It is no fleeting foam, soon dissipating,

And it endures after every adulterated thing has perished.

Enduring beyond the passing of all that is tainted.

وَوراءها شكوى تُذكّر يوسفاً

وَوراءها شكوى تُذكّر يوسفاً

وَصَنيع إخوته لدى يعقوبِ

وَصَنيع إخوته لدى يعقوبِ

And behind it lies a complaint recalling Joseph,

And behind it, a lament reminding of Joseph,

And his brothers' deeds in Jacob's presence.

And how his brothers treated him before Jacob.

ما إن ترى اِستعفاء واطي عشوة

ما إن ترى اِستعفاء واطي عشوة

عن غفلة جرّت إلي تشغيبِ

عن غفلة جرّت إلي تشغيبِ

What you see is a plea for pardon from one who stepped blindly,

Do not think me heedless, having strayed

For an oversight that led to discord.

Into neglect that led me to oppose you.

إنّ الكريمَ يقيل عثرة مثله

إنّ الكريمَ يقيل عثرة مثله

لا سيّما إن كان غير مريبِ

لا سيّما إن كان غير مريبِ

Indeed, the noble man pardons the stumble of one like himself,

The noble one overlooks the stumbling of his like,

Especially if he is above suspicion.

Especially if he is free of doubt.

يُرخي سدول العذرِ دونَ ذنوبهِ

يُرخي سدول العذرِ دونَ ذنوبهِ

وَيَصونه عن مخجل التأنيبِ

وَيَصونه عن مخجل التأنيبِ

He lowers the curtains of excuse over his sins,

He lets down the curtains of excuse over sins

And shields him from the shame of rebuke.

And protects him from shameful rebuke.

وَإِذا رأى ألَم العقاب شفاءه

وَإِذا رأى ألَم العقاب شفاءه

من علّة لم يعد رفق طبيبِ

من علّة لم يعد رفق طبيبِ

And if he sees the pain of punishment as his cure

And when he sees the pain of punishment as his cure

For an ailment, he does not depart from a physician's gentleness.

From an illness, no gentler physician remains.

قَسماً بِمن هو عالم بتشيّعي

قَسماً بِمن هو عالم بتشيّعي

لِجنابكم في حضرةٍ ومغيبِ

لِجنابكم في حضرةٍ ومغيبِ

I swear by Him who knows my allegiance

I swear by Him who knows your supporters in presence and absence

To your honored person, in presence and absence:

For your noble self.

لو خلتهُ سرّاً لما أفشيته

لو خلتهُ سرّاً لما أفشيته

لهمُ ولكن كنت غير مصيبِ

لهمُ ولكن كنت غير مصيبِ

Had I deemed it a secret, I would not have divulged it

Had I kept it secret, I would not have divulged it

To them; but my judgment was mistaken.

To them, but I was not wise.

أَأراهُ سرّاً ثمّ آمنهم وحا

أَأراهُ سرّاً ثمّ آمنهم وحا

لهُم معي بادٍ لكلّ أريبِ

لهُم معي بادٍ لكلّ أريبِ

Would I deem it secret, then trust them, when their conduct

Could I have deemed it secret, then trusted them, while

Toward me is plain to every discerning man?

Among them were those hostile to every confidant?

آثرتُ نُصحهم على علمي بهم

آثرتُ نُصحهم على علمي بهم

فإذا عقاربهم ذوات دبيبِ

فإذا عقاربهم ذوات دبيبِ

I chose to counsel them despite what I knew of them,

I preferred to advise them, despite my knowledge of them,

Then behold, their scorpions were creeping.

Yet their stings were those of venomous snakes.

لكنّهم غَمزوا قناة صلبةً

لكنّهم غَمزوا قناة صلبةً

وَاِستكدروا بحراً بخوض ذنوبِ

وَاِستكدروا بحراً بخوض ذنوبِ

But they tried to bend an unyielding spear-shaft,

But they provoked a solid barrier

And tried to muddy a sea by dipping a bucket.

And stirred a sea by wading into sins.

فَغَدت بَهارِجهم بأيدي ناقدٍ

فَغَدت بَهارِجهم بأيدي ناقدٍ

وَخيال ظلّهم أمام لبيبِ

وَخيال ظلّهم أمام لبيبِ

So their counterfeits lay in an assayer's hands,

So their derision became subjected to the hands of critics

And their shadow's phantom stood before a discerning man.

And the specter of their misdeeds to the eyes of the wise.

وأليّتي باللّه جلّ جلاله

وأليّتي باللّه جلّ جلاله

وعليّ عهد ليس بالمكذوبِ

وعليّ عهد ليس بالمكذوبِ

And my oath is by God—exalted is His majesty—

And I have sworn to God Almighty

And I am bound by a pledge that will not prove false:

A vow that is no fabrication.

مَهما سمعتُ مقالةً من قائلٍ

مَهما سمعتُ مقالةً من قائلٍ

وَسُئلت عنها لم أكن بمجيبِ

وَسُئلت عنها لم أكن بمجيبِ

Whatever statement I hear from a speaker,

However much I hear talk from some speaker

When asked about it, I shall give no answer.

And am asked about it, I shall not respond.

فأبِح لعذري من قبولك منهجاً

فأبِح لعذري من قبولك منهجاً

يُفضي إلى رضوانك المرغوبِ

يُفضي إلى رضوانك المرغوبِ

So grant my excuse, through your acceptance, a path

So allow my excuse to adopt, through your acceptance,

Leading to your longed-for favor,

A course leading to your desired approval,

زَجراً لمن لَم يَنهه اِستحياؤه

زَجراً لمن لَم يَنهه اِستحياؤه

عن أن يشافِه مثلكم بمريبِ

عن أن يشافِه مثلكم بمريبِ

As a rebuke to one whose shame did not restrain him

Deterring those whose modesty

From addressing one like you face-to-face with suspect talk.

Did not prevent them from insulting your like.

وَعصى المروءة والديانة من سعى

وَعصى المروءة والديانة من سعى

بِنَميمة مستوجب التأديبِ

بِنَميمة مستوجب التأديبِ

And whoever, defying honor and faith, goes about

And disobeying chivalry and religion, whoever strives

With malicious gossip deserves chastisement.

With gossip deserving discipline.

وَبقيت برّاً مستميلاً للعدى

وَبقيت برّاً مستميلاً للعدى

وموالياً بالبرّ كلّ حبيبِ

وموالياً بالبرّ كلّ حبيبِ

And may you remain benevolent, winning enemies over,

While I remain righteous, appeasing every

And showing loyal kindness to every dear friend.

Loving friend with righteousness.