وَلا تُعطِ وُدَّكَ غَيرَ الثِقاتِ

وَلا تُعطِ وُدَّكَ غَيرَ الثِقاتِ

وَصَفوِ المَوَدَّةِ إِلّا لَبيبا

وَصَفوِ المَوَدَّةِ إِلّا لَبيبا

Give your affection to none but the trustworthy,

And give your affection to none but the trustworthy,

Nor affection’s purest part to any but one discerning.

and the purest of your love only to the wise.

إِذا ما الفَتى كانَ ذا مُسكَةٍ

إِذا ما الفَتى كانَ ذا مُسكَةٍ

فَإِنَّ لِحالَيهِ مِنهُ طَبيبا

فَإِنَّ لِحالَيهِ مِنهُ طَبيبا

If a young man possesses sound judgment,

If a young man possesses sound judgment,

Then within him is a physician for both his states.

then he is his own physician in both his states.

فَبَعضَ المَوَدَّةِ عِندَ الاِخاءِ

فَبَعضَ المَوَدَّةِ عِندَ الاِخاءِ

وَبَعضَ العَداوَةِ كَي تَستَنيبا

وَبَعضَ العَداوَةِ كَي تَستَنيبا

Keep some affection in reserve amid brotherhood,

So give affection in measure in friendship,

And some enmity, so the two may take each other’s place.

and enmity in measure, so that you may turn back.

فَاِنَّ المُحِبَّ يَكونُ البَغيضَ

فَاِنَّ المُحِبَّ يَكونُ البَغيضَ

وَإِنَّ البَغيضَ يَكونُ الحَبيبا

وَإِنَّ البَغيضَ يَكونُ الحَبيبا

For the loving one may become the hated,

For the one who loves may become the hated one,

And the hated one may become the beloved.

and the hated one may become the beloved.