مُؤاخاةُ الفَتى البَطَرِ البَطينِ

مُؤاخاةُ الفَتى البَطَرِ البَطينِ

تُهَيِّجُ قَرحَةَ الداءِ الدَفينِ

تُهَيِّجُ قَرحَةَ الداءِ الدَفينِ

Befriending the insolent, potbellied young man

The friendship of an impetuous youth

Inflames the sore of a hidden disease,

Reopens the wound of a deep-seated malady,

وَتُدخِلُ في اليَقينِ عَلَيكَ شَكّاً

وَتُدخِلُ في اليَقينِ عَلَيكَ شَكّاً

وَلا شَيءٌ أَعَزَّ مِنَ اليَقينِ

وَلا شَيءٌ أَعَزَّ مِنَ اليَقينِ

And introduces doubt into your certainty;

And makes one doubt your certitude—

And nothing is more precious than certainty.

Yet nothing is more precious than certitude.

فَدَعهُ وَاِستَجِر بِاللَهِ مِنهُ

فَدَعهُ وَاِستَجِر بِاللَهِ مِنهُ

فَجارَ اللَهِ في حِصنٍ حَصينِ

فَجارَ اللَهِ في حِصنٍ حَصينِ

So leave him, and seek refuge in God from him,

So leave him be, and seek refuge in God from him,

For one protected by God is in an impregnable stronghold.

For God's refuge is an impenetrable fortress.

أَأَغفُلُ وَالمَنايا مُقبِلاتٌ

أَأَغفُلُ وَالمَنايا مُقبِلاتٌ

عَلَيَّ وَأَشتَري الدُنيا بِديني

عَلَيَّ وَأَشتَري الدُنيا بِديني

Shall I be heedless while deaths advance

Shall I be heedless while death draws near

Upon me, and buy this world at the cost of my faith?

And barter my faith for this world?

وَلَو أَنّي عَقَلتُ لَطالَ حُزني

وَلَو أَنّي عَقَلتُ لَطالَ حُزني

وَرُمتُ إِخاءَ كُلِّ أَخٍ حَزينِ

وَرُمتُ إِخاءَ كُلِّ أَخٍ حَزينِ

And had I been wise, my sorrow would have lasted long,

Had I been reasonable my sadness would have lasted long,

And I would have sought brotherhood with every sorrowful brother,

And I would have rejected the brotherhood of every sorrowful brother.

وَأَظمَأتُ النَهارَ لِرَوحِ قَلبي

وَأَظمَأتُ النَهارَ لِرَوحِ قَلبي

وَبِتُّ اللَيلَ مُفتَرِشاً جَبيني

وَبِتُّ اللَيلَ مُفتَرِشاً جَبيني

And thirsted through the day for my heart's relief,

I would have thirsted through the days for the spirit of my heart,

And spent the night with my forehead for a bed.

And spent the nights lying with my forehead to the ground.