1. أَيُّها الخل قَد صَحِبناكَ دَهراً

    وَبلونا حلاك سِرّا وَجهرا

    Dear friend, we have kept your company for an age,

    and tested your virtues, in private and in public.

  2. وَأَلفنا من طَبعِك اللطف وَالظر

    ف وَطيب الاِخلاق طيا وَنَشرا

    And in your nature we have come to know gentleness and refinement,

    and fine character, folded away and unfurled.

  3. وَعَلمناك أَطهر الناس ذيلا

    ثُم أَيضا لا زِلت تَزداد طَهرا

    We have known you to have the purest hem of all,

    and may you never cease to grow purer still.

  4. وَلَقَد طالَ ما اِختَبَرناك حلما

    فَرَأَيناكَ أَحلم الناس صَدرا

    And long indeed have we tested your forbearance,

    and found you the most forbearing of all at heart.

  5. لا لعجز وَخفض قَدر وَلكن

    أَحلم الناس أَرفع الناس قَدرا

    Not through weakness or lowly standing; rather,

    the most forbearing are the highest in rank.

  6. ما ظَنناك أَيها الخل من قب

    ل عَلَينا من الحُب أَدرى

    We never thought you, dear friend, before,

    more knowing of love where we are concerned.

  7. وَعَلى كل حالَة أَنتَ وَالل

    ه بما عِندَنا من الحُب أَدرى

    And in any case you are, by God,

    better aware of the love we hold.

  8. حاشَ لِلَّهِ أَن نَحول عن العَه

    د وَنَأتى شَيأ من الغَدر نكرا

    God forbid that we should turn from the covenant,

    and commit some odious act of treachery.

  9. فَعَلام الاعراض عني وَاني

    لَم أَجد عَنكَ بعدَ بعدك صَبرا

    Why, then, turn away from me, when I

    have found no patience to be without you since your withdrawal?

  10. لا تَسىء بي ظنا فَما أَنا مِمَّن

    بظهر الوُدّ ثُم يضمر غدرا

    Do not think ill of me, for I am not one

    who shows affection, then conceals treachery.

  11. وَاِذا ما سَمِعت عني ذَنبا

    فَاِلتَمِس لي عَن ذلكَ الذَنب عُذرا

    And if you hear of some fault of mine,

    then seek an excuse for me for that fault.

  12. وَعَلى فَرض أَنَّني فيك أَذنب

    ت فاني لَدَيك آمل سترا

    And supposing that I have wronged you,

    then I hope you will veil my fault.

  13. اِنَّما الحرّ من تجاوز عن هَف

    وَة من كانَ في المَوَدّة حُرّا

    The noble person is only one who overlooks the lapse

    of someone noble in affection.

  14. هذِهِ خلة الاخلاء قُدما

    لا رَأَتكَ العينان مِنها معرّى

    This has been the way of friends since long ago;

    may my two eyes never see you stripped of it.

  15. اِن تَحقق رَجاي فيكَ فَأَهلا

    أَنَ وَاللَهِ بِالمَكارِم أَحرى

    If my hope in you comes true, then welcome!

    I am, by God, more deserving of noble kindness.

  16. وَاِن اِزدَدتَ في الصدود في الهَج

    رِ فَوَاللَهِ لا أَحاول هَجرا

    And if you grow more averse, more estranged,

    then, by God, I will not seek estrangement.

  17. وَوَدادي الَّذي عَهدت ودادي

    لَم أَحل عَنهُ قَط شَهرا وَدَهرا

    And my love is still the love you have known;

    I have never swerved from it, for a month or an age.

  18. لا تَغرّنك الوشاة فَفيهِم

    عن قُريب سَيَحدُث اللَه أَمرا

    Do not let the slanderers deceive you; as for them,

    God will soon bring something to pass.

  19. وَاِذا ما أَضَعتَ شِعري فَاني

    لي قَلب وَاللَه يَفديكَ شِعرا

    And if you squander my poetry, then I

    have a heart that, by God, would ransom you with verse.

  20. وَعَلَيكَ السَلام منى فاِنّي

    عِندَ كِسرى أَرجو من اللَه جَبرا

    And peace be upon you from me, for I,

    in my brokenness, hope for mending from God.