وَلي صاحِبٌ ما كُنتُ أَهوى اِقتِرابَهُ

وَلي صاحِبٌ ما كُنتُ أَهوى اِقتِرابَهُ

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا كانَ أَكرَمَ صاحِبِ

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا كانَ أَكرَمَ صاحِبِ

I have a companion whose nearness I had not desired;

I had a friend I never longed to be near

Then, when we met, he was the most generous of companions.

Yet when we met, he was the noblest of friends

يَعِزُّ عَلَينا أَن يُفارقَ بَعدَما

يَعِزُّ عَلَينا أَن يُفارقَ بَعدَما

تَمَنَّيتُ دَهراً أَن يَكونَ مُجانِبي

تَمَنَّيتُ دَهراً أَن يَكونَ مُجانِبي

It pains us that he should depart, after

It grieves me now that he will leave, after

I had long wished that he would keep away from me.

I wished for ages that he would avoid me