هِيَ فُرقَةٌ مِن صاحِبٍ لَكَ ماجِدِ

فَغَداً إِذابَةُ كُلِّ دَمعٍ جامِدِ

It is a band from a friend of yours, O Majid

Tomorrow, when every frozen tear melts

فَاِفزَع إِلى ذُخرِ الشُؤونِ وَغَربِهِ

فَالدَمعُ يُذهِبُ بَعضَ جَهدِ الجاهِدِ

So take refuge in preparing for affairs and their setting

For tears diminish some of the effort of the diligent

وَإِذا فَقَدتَ أَخاً وَلَم تَفقِد لَهُ

دَمعاً وَلا صَبراً فَلَستَ بِفاقِدِ

And if you lose a brother and do not lose

Tears or patience for him, then you have lost nothing

أَعَلِيُّ يا بنَ الجَهمِ إِنَّكَ دُفتَ لي

سَمّاً وَخَمراً في الزُلالِ البارِدِ

O High One, O son of Jahm, you have poured for me

A drink and wine in the cool running water

لا تَبعَدَن أَبَداً وَلا تَبعُد فَما

أَخلاقُكَ الخُضرُ الرُبا بِأَباعِدِ

Never stay too far nor be distant, your manners

Are evergreen, fragrant even from afar

إِن يُكدُ مُطَّرَفُ الإِخاءِ فَإِنَّنا

نَغدو وَنَسري في إِخاءٍ تالِدِ

If the rain of brotherly love is scarce, we

Go out and about in a longstanding brotherhood

أَو يَختَلِف ماءُ الوِصالِ فَماؤُنا

عَذبٌ تَحَدَّرَ مِن غَمامٍ واحِدِ

Or if the water of connection differs, our water

Is sweet, flowing from one cloud

أَو يَفتَرِق نَسَبٌ يُؤَلِّفُ بَينَنا

أَدَبٌ أَقَمناهُ مُقامَ الوالِدِ

Or a lineage that unites us parts,

The discipline we established takes the place of a parent

لَو كُنتَ طَرفاً كُنتَ غَيرَ مُدافَعٍ

لِلأَشقَرِ الجَعدِيِّ أَو لِلذائِدِ

If you were an onlooker, you would not defend

Al-Ashqar the curly-haired or the opponent

أَو قَدَّمَتكَ السِنُّ خِلتُ بِأَنَّهُ

مِن لَفظِكَ اِشتُقَّت بَلاغَةُ خالِدِ

Or old age preceded you, I would say

Eloquence itself was derived from your speech

أَو كُنتُ يَوماً بِالنُجومِ مُصَدِّقاً

لَزَعَمتُ أَنَّكَ أَنتَ بِكرُ عُطارِدِ

Or if I believed in the stars one day

I would claim you to be Mercury itself

صَعبٌ فَإِن سومِحتَ كُنتَ مُسامِحاً

سَلِساً جَريرُكَ في يَمينِ القائِدِ

Difficult, so if you forgive, you would forgive smoothly

Flowing freely is your satire in the leader’s right hand

أُلبِستَ فَوقَ بَياضِ مَجدِكَ نِعمَةً

بَيضاءَ حَلَّت في سَوادِ الحاسِدِ

You were dressed above your glory in a blessing

White that landed among the envy of the envious

وَمَوَدَّةً لا زَهَّدَت في راغِبٍ

يَوماً وَلا هِيَ رَغَّبَت في زاهِدِ

And an affection that did not become ascetic with

A suitor one day, nor did it make an ascetic covet

غَنّاءُ لَيسَ بِمُنكَرٍ أَن يَغتَدي

في رَوضِها الراعي أَمامَ الرائِدِ

The singer is not ashamed that the shepherd breaks in

Before the leader in her meadow

ما أَدَّعي لَكَ جانِباً مِن سُؤدُدٍ

إِلّا وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ أَعدَلُ شاهِدِ

I do not claim any part of high status for you

Except that you are the most just of witnesses to it