قُمْ سيدي شَرّفْ بِلا مهلة

قُمْ سيدي شَرّفْ بِلا مهلة

فلا غنىً للمرءِ عن خلِّه

فلا غنىً للمرءِ عن خلِّه

Rise, my lord; honor us without delay.

Arise, my lord, show honor without delay

For a man cannot do without his close friend.

A man cannot do without his friend

وربَّ ودٍّ في صميم الحشا

وربَّ ودٍّ في صميم الحشا

ألزم للإِنسان من ظلِّه

ألزم للإِنسان من ظلِّه

And many a love in the heart's very core

There is a friend in the depths of barren land

Clings more closely to a man than his shadow.

Closer to man than his own shadow

ونحن ممن هكذا ودّهم

ونحن ممن هكذا ودّهم

والمثل لا يعدل عن مثِله

والمثل لا يعدل عن مثِله

And we are among those whose love is thus;

And we are among those whose love is like this

And like does not turn away from its like.

And the proverb does not stray from its likeness