1. Faithfulness to the covenant is a trait of the generous
And covenant-breaking is a trait of the vile
١. وَفاءُ العَهدِ من شِيَمِ الكرامِ
ونقضُ العَهدِ من شِيَمِ اللِّئَامِ
2. In my eyes, nothing counts as good manners
Except keeping affection and responsibility
٢. وعندي لا يُعَدُّ من السَّجايا
سِوَى حِفظِ المَوَدَّةِ والذِّمامِ
3. Beauty at the start is no condition for love
Rather, its condition is a beautiful ending
٣. وما حُسنُ البِداءَةِ شرطُ حُبٍّ
ولكن شرطُهُ حسنُ الخِتامِ
4. A covenant is not what you kept one day
But what you kept always
٤. وليسَ العهدُ ما ترعاهُ يوماً
ولكن ما رعَيتَ على الدَّوامِ
5. You noble souls broke a covenant
We thought would last a thousand years
٥. نَقَضتمْ يا كرامَ الحيِّ عهداً
حَسِبناهُ يدومُ لألفِ عامِ
6. Yesterday we hoped for closeness
Today we make do with peace
٦. وكنَّا أمسِ نطمعُ في جِوارٍ
فصرنا اليومَ نقنعُ بالسَّلامِ
7. The covenant of the trustworthy was fulfilled
While the covenant of traitors was just words
٧. جَرَى عهدُ الثّقاتِ على فَعالٍ
وعهدُ الغادرينَ على كلامِ
8. He who does not seek excuse for sin
Finds it easy to refute blame
٨. ومَن لا يبتغي لِلذَّنبِ عُذراً
يهونُ عليهِ تفنيدُ الملامِ
9. He who does not consider your love when he leaves
Will not consider your love if he stays
٩. ومَن لا يَرْعَ وُدَّكَ في رحيلٍ
فلا يَرعَى وِدَادَكَ في مُقامِ
10. He who makes good and bad equal
Is ignorant of dawn from darkness
١٠. ومَن عَدَلَ المَحاسِنَ بالمَساوي
فقد جَهِلَ الصَّباحَ من الظَّلامِ
11. I am the ever-loyal friend, and my soul
Fulfills a friend's due perfectly
١١. أَنا الخِلُّ الوفيُّ وإنَّ نفسي
تَفي حقَّ الصَّديقِ على التَّمامِ
12. I uphold his rights as long as he lives
And after death, the rights of his bones
١٢. أُراعي حقَّهُ ما دامَ حيّاً
وبعدَ وفاتِهِ حقَّ العِظامِ