ولي صاحِبٌ صاحبتُه ذو قَرابةٍ

ولي صاحِبٌ صاحبتُه ذو قَرابةٍ

حَريصٌ علَيها أن تُبَرَّ وتُوصَلا

حَريصٌ علَيها أن تُبَرَّ وتُوصَلا

And I have a friend whom I befriended, a kinsman,

I have a friend, a kin of his beloved

keen that this kinship be honored and maintained.

Keen to honour and connect with her

يواصِلُني إحسانُه حينَ نلتَقي

يواصِلُني إحسانُه حينَ نلتَقي

ويُتبِعُني طيَّ القراطيسِ مُرسَلا

ويُتبِعُني طيَّ القراطيسِ مُرسَلا

His kindness keeps reaching me when we meet,

His kindness finds me when we meet

and he sends it after me within the folds of letters.

And letters chase me when apart

تحمَّل عنِّي النائباتِ بنَفسِه

تحمَّل عنِّي النائباتِ بنَفسِه

فألقى على ظَهري له الشُّكرُ كَلكَلا

فألقى على ظَهري له الشُّكرُ كَلكَلا

He himself bore my misfortunes for me,

He bears my troubles on himself

so gratitude to him laid its breast upon my back.

And lays gratitude upon my back

فتىً يَفعلُ الأشياءَ لا ليقولَها

فتىً يَفعلُ الأشياءَ لا ليقولَها

وليسَ يقولُ الشيءَ إلا ليَفعَلا

وليسَ يقولُ الشيءَ إلا ليَفعَلا

A young man who does things not to speak of them,

A man who acts without pretense

and speaks of a thing only to do it.

And only speaks with deeds intact

إذا قِستَه بالناسِ صحَّ لك اسمُهُ

إذا قِستَه بالناسِ صحَّ لك اسمُهُ

كذلكَ سماهُ القِياسُ المُفَضَّلا

كذلكَ سماهُ القِياسُ المُفَضَّلا

If you compare him with others, his name proves true to you:

Measured against people, his name fits

thus comparison named him al-Mufaddal—“the preferred.”

The finest man, so deemed, exact