أَبى صاحِبي بَذلي وَبَيعي كِلَيهِما

أَبى صاحِبي بَذلي وَبَيعي كِلَيهِما

هوَ المَرءُ يَستَغني وَيُحمَدُ صاحِبُه

هوَ المَرءُ يَستَغني وَيُحمَدُ صاحِبُه

My companion refused both my giving and my selling.

My friend refused my generosity and sale, both

He is a man who is self-sufficient, and whose companion is praised.

He is the man who becomes self-sufficient and his friend praised

فَقُلتُ وَبَعضُ الظَنِّ يَكذِبُ أَهلَهُ

فَقُلتُ وَبَعضُ الظَنِّ يَكذِبُ أَهلَهُ

وَيَصدُقُهُم وَأَكثَرُ الظَنِّ كاذِبُه

وَيَصدُقُهُم وَأَكثَرُ الظَنِّ كاذِبُه

So I said—some conjecture deceives those who hold it,

So I said, and some suspicion lies to its people

And some proves true to them, though most conjecture is false—

And believes them, and most suspicion is lying

لَعَلَّ أَخي لَمّا رأَى حُسنَ شيمَتي

لَعَلَّ أَخي لَمّا رأَى حُسنَ شيمَتي

وَليني إِلَيهِ ظَنَّ أَنّي أُوارِبُه

وَليني إِلَيهِ ظَنَّ أَنّي أُوارِبُه

Perhaps my brother, when he saw the goodness of my character

Perhaps my brother, when he saw the goodness of my nature

And my gentleness toward him, thought I was deceiving him.

And my gentleness to him, thought that I would cheat him

وَكُنتُ امرءً والعِلمُ لِلَه لا أَرى

وَكُنتُ امرءً والعِلمُ لِلَه لا أَرى

أَخي وَخَليلي كالبَعيدِ أُخالِبُه

أَخي وَخَليلي كالبَعيدِ أُخالِبُه

And I was a man—and God knows—who would not regard

And I was a man, and knowledge belongs to God alone, I do not see

My brother and my close friend as a stranger whom I would beguile.

My brother and friend like a stranger I would deceive

وَأُعطيتُ حَظّاً مِن حَياءٍ وَأَشتَكي

وَأُعطيتُ حَظّاً مِن حَياءٍ وَأَشتَكي

مِنَ العَجزِ ما لَم يَبدُ لِلناس غائِبُه

مِنَ العَجزِ ما لَم يَبدُ لِلناس غائِبُه

And I was granted a share of modesty, and I suffer

And I was given a share of modesty, and I complain

From weakness whose hidden extent has not been revealed to people.

Of powerlessness, which has not appeared to people, absent