1. ظفَرُ بنُ عبدِ اللهِ أك

    رَمُ من يُصافِيهِ المُصافي

    Zafar ibn Abdullah is the most

    generous of those whom a sincere friend befriends.

  2. حُرُّ يَفي لصَديقهِ

    بعُهودِهِ والحُرُّ وافي

    A noble man, he keeps faith with his friend

    in his pledges—and a noble man is faithful.

  3. لكنِنَّي أشكو نوا

    هُ فوخزُهُ وخزُ الأَشافي

    Yet I lament his being far

    away; its sting is the sting of awls.

  4. شكوى وَقيذٍ ما لِعلَّ

    تهِ سوى لُقياهُ شافي

    The lament of one sorely stricken, with no cure for

    his ailment save meeting him.

  5. فلْيَرْعَ ثابتَ عَهدِهِ

    كيلا يُزعزعَه التَّجافي

    So let him safeguard his steadfast pledge,

    lest estrangement shake it.

  6. ولْيُسْقَ غَرسُ وفائهِ

    وصَفائهِ سَقْيَ الظِّرافِ

    And let his loyalty's sapling be watered,

    and his sincerity's, as the gracious would.

  7. ولْيُتْبعِ البِرَّ القدي

    مَ بصَفْوِبِرٍّ كالسُّلافِ

    And let him follow up the kindness of

    old with pure kindness, like the choicest wine.

  8. إنَّ القوادِمَ بالخَوا

    في والقَصائِدَ بالقوافي

    Indeed, primary feathers are complemented by

    secondary feathers, and poems by rhymes.