أَلا إِنَّ خِلّانَ الفَتى إِن عَدَدتَهُم

أَلا إِنَّ خِلّانَ الفَتى إِن عَدَدتَهُم

كَثيرٌ وَلَكِن أَينَ خِلٌّ مُوافِقُ

كَثيرٌ وَلَكِن أَينَ خِلٌّ مُوافِقُ

Behold, a young man’s friends—if you count them—

Indeed, a young man's friends, if you count them,

Are many; but where is one true, kindred friend?

are many—but where is a congenial friend?

فَغَمِّض عَلى قُبحِ المُراءاةِ مِنهُم

فَغَمِّض عَلى قُبحِ المُراءاةِ مِنهُم

فَما مِنهُمُ إِلّا مُراءٍ مُنافِقُ

فَما مِنهُمُ إِلّا مُراءٍ مُنافِقُ

So turn a blind eye to the ugliness of their dissembling,

So close your eyes to the ugliness of their pretence,

For every one of them is a hypocritical dissembler.

for none of them is anything but a dissembling hypocrite.

أَلَم تَرَني صادَقتُ كُلَّ مُداهِنٍ

أَلَم تَرَني صادَقتُ كُلَّ مُداهِنٍ

فَإِن لَم أُصادِقهُ فَمَن ذا أُصادِقُ

فَإِن لَم أُصادِقهُ فَمَن ذا أُصادِقُ

Have you not seen me befriend every smooth-tongued flatterer?

Have you not seen me befriend every flatterer?

For if I do not befriend him, whom then shall I befriend?

For if I do not befriend him, whom, then, shall I befriend?