أَسُرُّ خَليلي شاهِدا وَأَبَرَّه

أَسُرُّ خَليلي شاهِدا وَأَبَرَّه

وَأَحفظه بالغَيب حين يَغيبُ

وَأَحفظه بالغَيب حين يَغيبُ

I gladden my friend when he is present, and treat him kindly.

I confide in my friend as a witness and make him pure,

I gladden my friend when he is present and treat him with kindness,

And I safeguard him in his absence, when he is away.

And keep him in my heart when he is absent.

And I guard his honor in the unseen when he is away.

وَإِنّي لسهل الوَجه للمُبتَغي النَدى

وَإِنّي لسهل الوَجه للمُبتَغي النَدى

وَإِنَّ فِنائي للقِرى لَرَحيب

وَإِنَّ فِنائي للقِرى لَرَحيب

And my face is truly welcoming to the seeker of generosity.

My face is gentle towards the seeker of companionship,

Indeed, I am cheerful of face for the one seeking favors,

And my courtyard is indeed spacious for hospitality.

And my abode is spacious for neighbors.

And my courtyard is truly spacious for hospitality.

أَضاحك ضَيفي قَبلَ إِنزال رحله

أَضاحك ضَيفي قَبلَ إِنزال رحله

وَيُخصَب عِندي وَالمَحَلُّ جَديب

وَيُخصَب عِندي وَالمَحَلُّ جَديب

I laugh with my guest before his baggage is set down.

I make my guest laugh before he dismounts,

I smile at my guest before he even unloads his saddle,

And he enjoys plenty with me, though the place is barren.

And he finds fertility with me though the place is barren.

And he finds abundance with me even when the land is barren.

وَما الخَصبُ للأَضياف أَن يَكثُر القِرى

وَما الخَصبُ للأَضياف أَن يَكثُر القِرى

وَلَكِنَّما وَجه الكَريم خَصيب

وَلَكِنَّما وَجه الكَريم خَصيب

For guests, abundance does not mean plentiful fare;

Fertility for guests is not in plenty of neighbors,

For abundance for guests is not merely that the food be plentiful,

Rather, the generous man's face is fertile.

But in the face of the generous being fertile.

But rather, the face of the generous man is the true abundance.

وَإِنّي لَتَصفو للخَليل سَريرَتي

وَإِنّي لَتَصفو للخَليل سَريرَتي

وَإِن جُعلت أَشياءُ منه تَريب

وَإِن جُعلت أَشياءُ منه تَريب

And my innermost feelings stay pure toward my friend,

And my inner self is pure for the friend,

My inner self remains pure towards my friend,

Even if things on his part are made to arouse suspicion.

Even if some aspects seemed doubtful.

Even if actions arise from him that cause suspicion.

أُعاتِبه مَزحاً وأَعرِض بِالَّتي

أُعاتِبه مَزحاً وأَعرِض بِالَّتي

لَها بَين أَثناء الضُلوع دَبيب

لَها بَين أَثناء الضُلوع دَبيب

I reproach him in jest, and hint at that which

I reproach him playfully and turn away coquettishly,

I admonish him in jest, and I hint at the grievance

creeps among the folds of my ribs.

With a throbbing in the chest between the ribs.

That creeps softly between the ribs.

أَخاف لجاجاتِ العِتاب بِصاحِبي

أَخاف لجاجاتِ العِتاب بِصاحِبي

وَللجهل مِن قَلب الحَليم نَصيب

وَللجهل مِن قَلب الحَليم نَصيب

I fear relentless reproaches toward my companion;

I fear insisting reproaches towards my companion,

I fear the persistence of blaming my companion,

And folly has a share in the forbearing man's heart.

For ignorance has a share in the heart of the forbearing.

For even within the heart of the forbearing, ignorance claims a share.

أذِلّ له حَتّى كَأَنّي بِذَنبِهِ

أذِلّ له حَتّى كَأَنّي بِذَنبِهِ

إِليَّ بِذَنب لي إِلَيهِ أَتوب

إِليَّ بِذَنب لي إِلَيهِ أَتوب

I humble myself before him until I seem, for his offense

I humble myself to him as if I had sinned against him,

I humble myself to him, until it seems as if his sin

against me, to repent of an offense of mine against him.

Repenting to him a sin of mine against him.

Were a sin of mine against him for which I repent.

لِيَحيى دَفينٌ مِن مَودَّة بَينَنا

لِيَحيى دَفينٌ مِن مَودَّة بَينَنا

فَيُخلَف ظَنُّ أَو يَئوب غَريب

فَيُخلَف ظَنُّ أَو يَئوب غَريب

So that some buried affection between us may revive,

So a hidden love may live between us,

So that a buried affection between us may revive,

And thus a suspicion may prove false, or a wanderer return.

And so suspicion passes or a stranger departs.

And suspicion is dispelled, or the estranged one returns.

فَإِن فاءَ لَم أَعدُد عَلَيهِ ذُنوبه

فَإِن فاءَ لَم أَعدُد عَلَيهِ ذُنوبه

وَهَل بعد فيئات الرِجال ذُنوب

وَهَل بعد فيئات الرِجال ذُنوب

Then if he returns, I do not count his offenses against him.

If he returns I do not recount his sins,

If he returns, I do not count his faults against him,

And what offenses remain after men return?

Do men's sins persist after their return?

For after the reconciliation of men, do sins remain?

وَإِن لَجَّ في هَجري صفحت تكرّماً

وَإِن لَجَّ في هَجري صفحت تكرّماً

لَعَلَّ الحجا بعد العُزوب يَثوب

لَعَلَّ الحجا بعد العُزوب يَثوب

And if he persists in shunning me, I pardon him out of nobility;

If he is harsh in shunning me, I pardon generously,

And if he persists in abandoning me, I pardon him out of nobility,

Perhaps good sense will return after its absence.

Perhaps the estranged after aloofness will return.

Hoping that wisdom, after its absence, might return.

وَصنت أَديم الوَجه منه وَلَم يَزَل

وَصنت أَديم الوَجه منه وَلَم يَزَل

وَفائي لَهُ حَتّى يَزولَ عَسيب

وَفائي لَهُ حَتّى يَزولَ عَسيب

And I have guarded the skin of my face from him; unceasing is

I protected the skin of my face from him but my loyalty

I preserved his dignity, and my loyalty to him

my loyalty to him, until ʿAsīb moves away.

To him did not decline until anguish departed.

Has never ceased, and will remain until Mount 'Asib vanishes.

وَلَم أُفشِ سِرّاً كانَ بَيني وَبينَه

وَلَم أُفشِ سِرّاً كانَ بَيني وَبينَه

وَللسرّ راعٍ حافِظٌ وَرَقيبُ

وَللسرّ راعٍ حافِظٌ وَرَقيبُ

And I have not divulged a secret that lay between me and him;

I did not divulge a secret between us,

I have never divulged a secret that was between us,

And a secret has a shepherd, a keeper, and a watcher.

For the secret has a keeper and guardian.

For the secret has a shepherd, a keeper, and a watchman.

فَإِنّي لَذو قَلبين قَلبٌ مضيَّع

فَإِنّي لَذو قَلبين قَلبٌ مضيَّع

وَقَلبٌ جَبان أن سألت هيوب

وَقَلبٌ جَبان أن سألت هيوب

For I indeed have two hearts: one heart is left unguarded,

I have two hearts; a wasted heart,

For I possess two hearts: a heart that is daring,

And one is cowardly—if you ask—full of dread.

And a coward heart if you ask it to attack.

And a heart that is cowardly, should you ask, and fearful.

جَرىءٌ عَلى ما زَيّن العِرضَ هائِب

جَرىءٌ عَلى ما زَيّن العِرضَ هائِب

لتلك الَّتي يَخزى بِها وَيَحوب

لتلك الَّتي يَخزى بِها وَيَحوب

Bold in what adorns honor, yet fearful

Brave for what virtue made forbidden,

Bold regarding what adorns my honor, yet fearful

of that which brings disgrace and sin.

Fleeing from that which would shame and perturb.

Of that which brings disgrace and leads to sin.

أُشاوِر أَهلَ الرأي فيما يَنوبني

أُشاوِر أَهلَ الرأي فيما يَنوبني

وَإِن كانَ لي رأيٌ أَحَدٌّ صَليب

وَإِن كانَ لي رأيٌ أَحَدٌّ صَليب

I consult people of judgment about what befalls me,

I consult the people of wisdom in what befalls me,

I consult the people of wisdom in the calamities that befall me,

Even though my own judgment is sharper and firm.

Even if I have an opinion, sharp as a spearhead.

Even though I possess a judgment that is sharp and firm.

فَما أَرَ لا يُشَكِل عَليَّ صَوابه

فَما أَرَ لا يُشَكِل عَليَّ صَوابه

وَأَحدِس فيما لا أَرى فأصيب

وَأَحدِس فيما لا أَرى فأصيب

So the truth of what I see is clear to me,

What I see clearly, its correctness does not confuse me,

In what I see, the right path is not ambiguous to me,

And I surmise about what I do not see, and hit the mark.

And I intuit what I do not see, and hit the mark.

And I use intuition in what remains unseen, and I strike true.

وَلا أَدَعّي بِالجَهل عِلماً لِسائِل

وَلا أَدَعّي بِالجَهل عِلماً لِسائِل

وَلا أَحسدُ المَسئول حينَ يُجيب

وَلا أَحسدُ المَسئول حينَ يُجيب

And I do not claim knowledge I lack to one who asks,

I do not claim knowledge for a questioner in ignorance,

I do not feign knowledge out of ignorance to a questioner,

Nor do I envy the one questioned when he answers.

Nor envy the questioned when he responds.

Nor do I ask the children about the face of my neighbor,

وَلا أَسأل الوِلدانَ عَن وَجه جارَتي

وَلا أَسأل الوِلدانَ عَن وَجه جارَتي

بَعيداً وَلا أَرعاه وَهوَ قَريب

بَعيداً وَلا أَرعاه وَهوَ قَريب

Nor do I ask children about my female neighbor's face

I do not ask the youths about my neighbor’s face,

Neither from afar, nor do I watch her when she is near.

from afar, nor do I gaze at it when it is near.

From afar or up close.