أَلا بِأَبي خِلٌّ حَمِدتُ إِخاءهُ

رَقيقُ الحَواشي جامعُ الشَملِ وَالأنسِ

By my father, Khall is gracious - I praised his brotherhood

Gentle of conversation, bringing people together

قَطَعنا بِهِ لَيلاً كَأَنَّ حَديثَهُ

أَزاهيرُ رَوضٍ صينَ عَن بَذلَةِ اللَمسِ

We spent a night with him, as if his talk

Were the blossoms of a protected garden, shunning unwanted touches

وَبِتنا يُعاطينا الحَديثَ كَأَنَّهُ

جَنى النَحلِ مَمزُوجاً لَنا بابنةِ الكَأسِ

And we stayed awake as he regaled us with conversation as though it

Were the nectar of bees mixed for us with the daughter of the cup

حَبيبٌ إِلى كُلِّ الأَنامِ كَأَنَّهُ

تَقسَّمَ بَين القَلبِ وَالروحِ وَالنَفسِ

A beloved to all people, as though he

Were shared out among hearts, spirits and breaths

هُوَ النَجمُ جَلّى ظُلمَةَ اللَيلِ نورُهُ

فَأَوضَحُ مِن شَمسٍ وَأَفصَحُ مِن قسِّ

He is the star whose light dispelled the gloom of night

Clearer than a sun and more eloquent than a storyteller

وَلَكنَّهُ إِذ لاحَت الشَمسُ غائِبٌ

وَلا غَروَ إِنَّ النجمَ يَخفَى مَعَ الشَمسِ

And yet when the sun rose he disappeared

No wonder that a star fades away in sunlight