صاح عَبدُ الكَريمِ بَحرٌ فَردَه

صاح عَبدُ الكَريمِ بَحرٌ فَردَه

فَلَهٌُ مِن صِلاتِهِ أَمواجُ

فَلَهٌُ مِن صِلاتِهِ أَمواجُ

O friend, ʿAbd al-Karīm is a sea—so draw water from him;

The servant Abd al-Karim cried out like a boundless sea

For his gifts form waves.

And so his prayers became waves upon it.

ما ؤُهُ لِلصَديقِ عَذبٌ فُراتٌ

ما ؤُهُ لِلصَديقِ عَذبٌ فُراتٌ

وَلِغَيرِ الصَديقِ مِلحٌ أُجاجُ

وَلِغَيرِ الصَديقِ مِلحٌ أُجاجُ

His water is sweet and thirst-quenching to a friend,

For his friend, his river is sweet as the Euphrates,

But salty and bitter to anyone who is not a friend.

But for others, it is salt like troubled waters.

ما التَقَينا بِذِكرِهِ قَطُّ إِلّا

ما التَقَينا بِذِكرِهِ قَطُّ إِلّا

وَعَلى رَأسِهِ مِنَ الحَمدِ تاجُ

وَعَلى رَأسِهِ مِنَ الحَمدِ تاجُ

Never have we encountered mention of him except

Whenever we meet to remember him

With a crown of praise upon his head.

Above his head sits a crown of praise.