وَأَخٍ ذي ثِقَةٍ آخَيتُهُ

وَأَخٍ ذي ثِقَةٍ آخَيتُهُ

ماجِدِ الأَعراقِ مَأمونِ الأَدَب

ماجِدِ الأَعراقِ مَأمونِ الأَدَب

And a trustworthy brother I have befriended,

A trusted brother to whom I gave allegiance,

Noble in lineage, trustworthy in conduct.

of glorious lineage, of refined manners,

أَمحَضَ اللَهُ لَهُ أَخلاقَهُ

أَمحَضَ اللَهُ لَهُ أَخلاقَهُ

فَهيَ كَالإِبريزِ مِن سِرِّ الذَهَب

فَهيَ كَالإِبريزِ مِن سِرِّ الذَهَب

God has purified his character,

May Allah purify his morals,

So it is like pure gold, the very essence of gold.

for they are like refined gold.

عَزَّني المَعروفُ حَتّى عَلِقَت

عَزَّني المَعروفُ حَتّى عَلِقَت

كُلُّ كَفٍّ لِيَ مِنهُ بِسَبَب

كُلُّ كَفٍّ لِيَ مِنهُ بِسَبَب

His kindness overcame me, until

Kindness has honored me, so that

Each of my hands was linked to him by a bond.

every palm is indebted to me.

فَهوَ يُعطيني وَأُعطى فَضلَهُ

فَهوَ يُعطيني وَأُعطى فَضلَهُ

سَبَلَ الغَيثِ تَدَلّى فَسَكَب

سَبَلَ الغَيثِ تَدَلّى فَسَكَب

So he gives to me, and I am granted his bounty—

He gives to me and I exceed in his generosity,

Streams of rain, descending, then pouring forth.

like rain clouds pouring down rain.

فَإِذا أَبصَرَ وَجهي مُقبِلاً

فَإِذا أَبصَرَ وَجهي مُقبِلاً

ضَحِكَت عَيناهُ مِن غَيرِ عَجَب

ضَحِكَت عَيناهُ مِن غَيرِ عَجَب

So when he sees my face approaching,

When he sees my face approaching,

His eyes laugh, not out of surprise.

his eyes laugh without pretense.

وَإِذا كَلَّمتُهُ واحِدَةً

وَإِذا كَلَّمتُهُ واحِدَةً

هَيَّجَت مِنهُ عُلالاتِ الطَرَب

هَيَّجَت مِنهُ عُلالاتِ الطَرَب

And when I speak a single word to him,

When I speak to him even a little,

It awakens in him renewed stirrings of delight.

he is thrilled with joy.

وَإِذا ما غِبتُ عَنهُ ساعَةً

وَإِذا ما غِبتُ عَنهُ ساعَةً

أَنَّ لِلغَيبَةِ مِن غَيرِ وَصَب

أَنَّ لِلغَيبَةِ مِن غَيرِ وَصَب

And whenever I am away from him for an hour,

If I am absent from him for an hour,

He groans at my absence, though he has no illness.

it is as if absence without yearning.

فَهوَ لي وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ غِنىً

فَهوَ لي وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ غِنىً

وَعَفافٌ مِن دَنِيِّ المُكتَسَب

وَعَفافٌ مِن دَنِيِّ المُكتَسَب

So he is my wealth—praise be to God—

He is, thanks to God, enough for me,

And my abstention from base ways of earning:

and honor above base acquisition,

مِن تِجاراتٍ أَشابَت مَفرِقي

مِن تِجاراتٍ أَشابَت مَفرِقي

وَكَسَتني ثَوبَ ذُلٍّ وَنَصَب

وَكَسَتني ثَوبَ ذُلٍّ وَنَصَب

From trades that have grayed the parting of my hair,

Unlike trades that have dissipated my gatherings

And clothed me in a garment of humiliation and toil,

and clothed me in the garb of humiliation and toil,

وَمُلوكٍ إِن تَعَرَّضتُ لَهُم

وَمُلوكٍ إِن تَعَرَّضتُ لَهُم

عَرَّضوا ديني وَشيكاً لِلعَطَب

عَرَّضوا ديني وَشيكاً لِلعَطَب

And from kings who, if I approach them,

And kings - if I had dealings with them,

Soon expose my faith to ruin.

they quickly exposed my faith to peril.