خَيرُ إِخوانِكَ المُشارِكُ في الأَم
رِ وَأَينَ الشَريكُ في الأَمرِ أَينا
The best of your friends is the one who shares with you in every
matter—but where, oh where, is such a partner to be found?
الَّذي إِن حَضَرتَ سَرَّكَ في الحَيْ
يِ وَإِن غِبتَ كانَ أُذناً وَعَينا
The one who, when you are present, brings you joy among your
people, and when you are absent, becomes your ears and eyes;
ذاكَ مِثلُ الحُسامِ أَخلَصَهُ القَي
نُ جَلاه الجلاٍَّءُ فازدادَ زَينا
such a one is like a keen sword, refined by the
smith, who burnished it to brilliance, so it grew lovelier still.
أَنتَ في مَعشَرٍ إِذا غِبتَ عَنهُم
بِدَّلوا كُلَّ ما يَزينُكَ شَينا
You are among a company who, when you are away from them,
turn every grace of yours into a blemish.
وَإِذا ما رَأَوكَ قالوا جَميعاً
أَنتَ مِن أَكرَمِ الرِجالِ عَلَينا
Yet when they see you, they all say together,
“You are among the noblest of men in our eyes.”
Sol 5.6