رَأَيتُ فُضَيلاً كانَ شَيئاً مُلَفَّفاً

رَأَيتُ فُضَيلاً كانَ شَيئاً مُلَفَّفاً

فَكَشَّفَهُ التَمحيصُ حَتّى بَدا لِيا

فَكَشَّفَهُ التَمحيصُ حَتّى بَدا لِيا

I saw Fudayl; he was something wrapped up,

I saw Fudayl, who was all wrapped up,

then testing uncovered him until he stood revealed to me.

Unravelled by scrutiny, so he appeared to me naked.

فَأَنتَ أَخي ما لَم تَكُن لِيَ حاجَةٌ

فَأَنتَ أَخي ما لَم تَكُن لِيَ حاجَةٌ

فَإِن عَرَضَت أَيقَنتُ أَن لا أَخا لِيا

فَإِن عَرَضَت أَيقَنتُ أَن لا أَخا لِيا

So you are my brother as long as I have no need;

So you, my brother, as long as I had no need of you,

but should one arise, I know for certain that I have no brother.

But if I was in need, I realised you were no brother to me.

فَلا زادَ ما بَيني وَبَينَكَ بَعدَما

فَلا زادَ ما بَيني وَبَينَكَ بَعدَما

بَلَوتُكَ في الحاجاتِ إِلّا تَمادِيا

بَلَوتُكَ في الحاجاتِ إِلّا تَمادِيا

So may the distance between me and you, now that

After I tested you in times of need, nothing increased between us

I have tested you in times of need, grow only greater.

Except for separation.

فَلَستُ بِراءٍ عَيبَ ذي الوُدِّ كُلَّهُ

فَلَستُ بِراءٍ عَيبَ ذي الوُدِّ كُلَّهُ

وَلا بَعضَ ما فيهِ إِذا كُنتُ راضِيا

وَلا بَعضَ ما فيهِ إِذا كُنتُ راضِيا

For I do not see all the faults of one I love,

I am not overlooking the faults of a dear friend,

nor even some of them, when I am pleased with him.

Nor some of the faults, if I was pleased.

فَعَينُ الرِضا عَن كُلِّ عَيبٍ كَليلَةٌ

فَعَينُ الرِضا عَن كُلِّ عَيبٍ كَليلَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّ عَينَ السُخطِ تُبدي المُساوِيا

وَلَكِنَّ عَينَ السُخطِ تُبدي المُساوِيا

For the eye of favor is too dim to discern any fault,

The eye of contentment overlooks every fault,

but the eye of displeasure reveals the faults.

But the eye of displeasure reveals the equals.

كِلانا غَنِيٌّ عَن أَخيهُ حَياتَهُ

كِلانا غَنِيٌّ عَن أَخيهُ حَياتَهُ

وَنَحنُ إِذا مِتنا أَشَدُّ تَغانِيا

وَنَحنُ إِذا مِتنا أَشَدُّ تَغانِيا

Each of us has no need of his brother throughout his life,

Each of us is independent of his brother during his lifetime,

and when we die, we are still less dependent on each other.

And when we die, even more needless of each other.