إِذا وَدَّكَ الإِنسانُ يَوماً لِخِلَّةٍ

إِذا وَدَّكَ الإِنسانُ يَوماً لِخِلَّةٍ

فغَيَّرَها مَرُّ الزَّمانِ تَنَكَّرا

فغَيَّرَها مَرُّ الزَّمانِ تَنَكَّرا

If someone loves you one day for a trait,

If one day a man loves you for a trait

and passing time changes it, he turns away.

And time's passage makes it disappear and alter

وَيُشرَبُ ماءُ المُزنِ ما دامَ صافِياً

وَيُشرَبُ ماءُ المُزنِ ما دامَ صافِياً

وَيَزهَدُ فيهِ وارِدٌ إِن تَعَكَّرا

وَيَزهَدُ فيهِ وارِدٌ إِن تَعَكَّرا

And raincloud water is drunk as long as it remains clear,

The pure water is drunk for as long as it's clear

and one coming to drink shuns it if it turns murky.

But the drawer scorns it if it turns turbid

وَما زالَ فَقرُ المَرءِ يَأتي على الغِنى

وَما زالَ فَقرُ المَرءِ يَأتي على الغِنى

وَنِسيانُهُ مُستَدرِكاً ما تَذَكَّرا

وَنِسيانُهُ مُستَدرِكاً ما تَذَكَّرا

And a man's poverty has ever laid waste to wealth,

A man's poverty still comes upon his wealth

and his forgetfulness overtaken what he remembered.

And his forgetfulness rectifies what he remembered

شَرابُكَ بِئسَ الشَيءُ سَرَّ وَإِنَّما

شَرابُكَ بِئسَ الشَيءُ سَرَّ وَإِنَّما

أَفادَ سُروراً باطِلاً حينَ أَسكَرا

أَفادَ سُروراً باطِلاً حينَ أَسكَرا

Your drink is a wretched thing that pleased you; it only

Your drink is a terrible thing, though it brought joy

gave illusory joy when it made you drunk.

When it intoxicated, it brought hollow cheer

وَفي الناسِ مَن أَعطى الجَميلَ بَديهَةً

وَفي الناسِ مَن أَعطى الجَميلَ بَديهَةً

وَضَنَّ بِفِعلِ الخَيرِ لَمّا تَفَكَّرا

وَضَنَّ بِفِعلِ الخَيرِ لَمّا تَفَكَّرا

And among people is one who offered kindness on impulse,

Among people is one who naturally gives favor

but begrudged doing good when he thought it over.

But is stingy when he thinks to do good

فَخَف قَولَ مَن لاقاكَ مِن غَيرِ سالِفٍ

فَخَف قَولَ مَن لاقاكَ مِن غَيرِ سالِفٍ

حَميدٍ فَأَبدى بِالنِفاقِ تَشَكُّرا

حَميدٍ فَأَبدى بِالنِفاقِ تَشَكُّرا

So beware the words of one who meets you with no prior

So be wary of one you meet without good history

good deed, then hypocritically expresses gratitude.

Who shows courtesy through hypocrisy

وَكَم أَضمَرَ المَصحوبُ مَكراً بِصاحِبٍ

وَكَم أَضمَرَ المَصحوبُ مَكراً بِصاحِبٍ

فَأَلفى قَضاءَ اللَهِ أَدهى وَأَمكَرا

فَأَلفى قَضاءَ اللَهِ أَدهى وَأَمكَرا

And how often a companion has harbored a plot against a friend,

How often a companion secretly plotted against another

only to find God's decree more cunning and more crafty.

Only to find God's decree more cunning and devious

يَقومُ عَلَيهِ النوحُ لَيلاً وَلَو غَدا

يَقومُ عَلَيهِ النوحُ لَيلاً وَلَو غَدا

سَليماً لَأَجرى شَأوَ غَيٍّ وَبَكَّرا

سَليماً لَأَجرى شَأوَ غَيٍّ وَبَكَّرا

Lamentation rises over him at night; had he reached morning

He would mourn him at night, and if he survived

unharmed, he would have run error's course and set out early.

Till morn, would scheme the worst against him early