إذا ما بغى خلق عليّ فسبّني

إذا ما بغى خلق عليّ فسبّني

قنيت حيائي دونه لا أسبّه

قنيت حيائي دونه لا أسبّه

Whenever someone wronged me and reviled me,

If people insult me, I do not insult them back.

I kept my modesty safe from him and did not revile him.

I restrain my dignity from retaliating; I do not insult them.

وكرّمت نفسي من مؤاخاة جاهل

وكرّمت نفسي من مؤاخاة جاهل

كثير الخطايا جهلُه ما يغبّه

كثير الخطايا جهلُه ما يغبّه

And I held myself above befriending an ignorant man,

I honor myself by not befriending an ignorant person.

Whose misdeeds are many and whose ignorance never leaves him.

With all his sins, his ignorance does not diminish.

ولاحظت أسباب الحوادث إنها

ولاحظت أسباب الحوادث إنها

تري بعضنا في بعضه ما تحبّه

تري بعضنا في بعضه ما تحبّه

And I observed the causes of events: they

I observed the causes of events;

Show some of us, in others, what they desire.

They make us see in each other what we do not love.