أخ كُنتُ آوي مِنهُ عِند اِدّكاره

أخ كُنتُ آوي مِنهُ عِند اِدّكاره

إِلى ظِلّ أَفنان من العِزّ باذِخ

إِلى ظِلّ أَفنان من العِزّ باذِخ

A brother whose shelter I would seek whenever I remembered him,

A brother whom I used to take refuge in when I recalled him

In the shade of boughs of towering honor.

To the shadow of lofty glory branches

سعت نُوَبُ الأَيّام بَيني وَبَينه

سعت نُوَبُ الأَيّام بَيني وَبَينه

فَأَقلَعن مِنّا عَن ظَلوم وَصارِخ

فَأَقلَعن مِنّا عَن ظَلوم وَصارِخ

Time’s calamities came between me and him,

The vicissitudes of time came between me and him

Then withdrew, leaving one of us an oppressor and the other crying out.

So they turned me from shadows and cries

وَإِنّي وَإِعدادي لِدَهري محمدا

وَإِنّي وَإِعدادي لِدَهري محمدا

كَمُلتَمِس إِطفاءَ نار بِنافِخ

كَمُلتَمِس إِطفاءَ نار بِنافِخ

And I, in making Muhammad my safeguard against fate,

And I, in my life, hold Muhammad

Am like one seeking to quench a fire with someone blowing on it.

As one seeking to put out fire with a blower