وَكَم صاحِبٍ كَالرُمحِ زاغَت كُعوبُهُ

وَكَم صاحِبٍ كَالرُمحِ زاغَت كُعوبُهُ

أَبى بَعدَ طولِ الغَمزِ أَن يَتَقَوَّما

أَبى بَعدَ طولِ الغَمزِ أَن يَتَقَوَّما

And how many a friend, like a spear whose joints have warped,

How many a friend bent crooked like a spear

Refused to straighten after prolonged pressing.

Refused to straighten after protracted bending

تَقَبَّلتُ مِنهُ ظاهِراً مُتَبَلِّجاً

تَقَبَّلتُ مِنهُ ظاهِراً مُتَبَلِّجاً

وَأَدمَجَ دوني باطِناً مُتَجَهِّما

وَأَدمَجَ دوني باطِناً مُتَجَهِّما

I accepted his beaming exterior,

I accepted him outwardly bright and cheerful

While he hid from me a scowling inner self.

While he nursed inward gloom against me

فَأَبدى كَرَوضِ الحَزنِ رَقَّت فُروعُهُ

فَأَبدى كَرَوضِ الحَزنِ رَقَّت فُروعُهُ

وَأَضمَرَ كَاللَيلِ الخُدارِيِّ مُظلِما

وَأَضمَرَ كَاللَيلِ الخُدارِيِّ مُظلِما

What he showed was like an upland garden with tender boughs,

Like a garden of sorrow, his gentleness flourished

And what he hid was dark as the pitch-black night.

Yet he harbored darkness like a moonless night

وَلَو أَنَّني كَشَّفتُهُ عَن ضَميرِهِ

وَلَو أَنَّني كَشَّفتُهُ عَن ضَميرِهِ

أَقَمتُ عَلى ما بَينَنا اليَومَ مَأتَما

أَقَمتُ عَلى ما بَينَنا اليَومَ مَأتَما

And had I laid bare what was in his heart,

Had I unveiled his heart and its thoughts

I would hold a mourning gathering today for the bond between us.

I would have mourned what lies between us today

فَلا باسِطاً بِالسوءِ إِن ساءَني يَداً

فَلا باسِطاً بِالسوءِ إِن ساءَني يَداً

وَلا فاغِراً بِالذَمِّ إِن رابَني فَما

وَلا فاغِراً بِالذَمِّ إِن رابَني فَما

So I stretch out no hand to harm him if he hurts me,

I do not stretch out a hand to do evil in return

Nor open my mouth in censure if he arouses my suspicion.

Nor open my mouth to slander if he wrongs me

كَعُضوٍ رَمَت فيهِ اللَيالي بِفادِحٍ

كَعُضوٍ رَمَت فيهِ اللَيالي بِفادِحٍ

وَمَن حَمَلَ العُضوَ الأَليمَ تَأَلَّما

وَمَن حَمَلَ العُضوَ الأَليمَ تَأَلَّما

Like a limb the nights have struck with grievous affliction,

Like a limb diseased by nights of agony

And whoever bears an aching limb suffers pain.

He who bears the painful limb feels the pain

إِذا أَمَرَ الطِبُّ اللَبيبُ بِقَطعِهِ

إِذا أَمَرَ الطِبُّ اللَبيبُ بِقَطعِهِ

أَقولُ عَسى ضَنّاً بِهِ وَلَعَلَّما

أَقولُ عَسى ضَنّاً بِهِ وَلَعَلَّما

When the discerning physician orders it cut off,

When the wise doctor orders amputation

I say, 'Perhaps—and maybe,' reluctant to part with it.

I say, perhaps sparing it, it may heal

صَبَرتُ عَلى إيلامِهِ خَوفَ نَقصِهِ

صَبَرتُ عَلى إيلامِهِ خَوفَ نَقصِهِ

وَمَن لامَ مَن لا يَرعَوي كانَ أَلوَما

وَمَن لامَ مَن لا يَرعَوي كانَ أَلوَما

I endured the pain it caused, for fear of losing it.

I endured its torment fearing its loss

And whoever blames one who will not desist is more blameworthy.

One who blames the reckless causes greater harm

هِيَ الكَفُّ مَضٌّ تَركُها بَعدَ دائِها

هِيَ الكَفُّ مَضٌّ تَركُها بَعدَ دائِها

وَإِن قُطِعَت شانَت ذِراعاً وَمِعصَما

وَإِن قُطِعَت شانَت ذِراعاً وَمِعصَما

It is the hand: leaving it in place once diseased is painful,

Restraint is best when the disease has passed

And if it is severed, it disfigures the forearm and wrist.

Though when cut off, it maims the arm and wrist

أَراكَ عَلى قَلبي وَإِن كُنتَ عاصِياً

أَراكَ عَلى قَلبي وَإِن كُنتَ عاصِياً

أَعَزَّ مِنَ القَلبِ المُطيعِ وَأَكرَما

أَعَزَّ مِنَ القَلبِ المُطيعِ وَأَكرَما

To my heart, though you are defiant, I find you

I see you as dearer than my own heart

Dearer than the obedient heart, and more honored.

Though you disobey, more precious and honored

حَمَلتُكَ حَملَ العَينِ لَجَّ بِها القَذى

حَمَلتُكَ حَملَ العَينِ لَجَّ بِها القَذى

وَلا تَنجَلي يَوماً وَلا تَبلُغُ العَمى

وَلا تَنجَلي يَوماً وَلا تَبلُغُ العَمى

I bore you as one bears an eye in which grit persists,

I carry you like the eye bears the speck

And it never clears, nor ever goes blind.

That never clears but never fully blinds

دَعِ المَرءَ مَطوِيّاً عَلى ما ذَمَمتَهُ

دَعِ المَرءَ مَطوِيّاً عَلى ما ذَمَمتَهُ

وَلا تَنشُرِ الداءَ العُضالَ فَتَندَما

وَلا تَنشُرِ الداءَ العُضالَ فَتَندَما

Leave a man folded shut around the faults you blame him for,

Leave a man folded over his blemishes

And do not lay open the incurable disease, lest you regret it.

And spread not his chronic pain to regret

إِذا العُضوُ لَم يُؤلِمكَ إِلّا قَطَعتَهُ

إِذا العُضوُ لَم يُؤلِمكَ إِلّا قَطَعتَهُ

عَلى مَضَصٍ لَم تُبقِ لَحماً وَلا دَما

عَلى مَضَصٍ لَم تُبقِ لَحماً وَلا دَما

If no limb pains you without your cutting it off

If the limb pains you only when cut off

For a sharp ache, you will leave neither flesh nor blood.

It leaves no flesh or blood over its aching

وَمَن لَم يُوَطِّن لِلصَغيرِ مِنَ الأَذى

وَمَن لَم يُوَطِّن لِلصَغيرِ مِنَ الأَذى

تَعَرَّضَ أَن يَلقى أَجَلَّ وَأَعظَما

تَعَرَّضَ أَن يَلقى أَجَلَّ وَأَعظَما

And whoever does not accustom himself to slight harm

He who does not accommodate small hurts

Risks facing graver and greater harm.

Risks facing greater and graver ones