لا تَعذلُوُا الكافِي على فِعلِه

لا تَعذلُوُا الكافِي على فِعلِه

فُعذرُهُ يَقضِي على عاذلِيه

فُعذرُهُ يَقضِي على عاذلِيه

Do not reproach al-Kafi for his deed,

for his excuse prevails over his reproachers.

ولا تَظُنُّوهُ دَخِيلاً ولا

ولا تَظُنُّوهُ دَخِيلاً ولا

تَكَلَّفَ الَمدَّ ولا يَدَّعِيه

تَكَلَّفَ الَمدَّ ولا يَدَّعِيه

And do not think him an outsider, or that he

has affected “prolongation” [unclear in the text] or lays claim to it.

فإنَّهُ ظَنٌّ بهِ وارِثٌ

فإنَّهُ ظَنٌّ بهِ وارِثٌ

لِعِلمِهِ عن جَدِّهِ أَو أَبِيه

لِعِلمِهِ عن جَدِّهِ أَو أَبِيه

For he is, one supposes, an heir

to his knowledge, from his grandfather or his father.

وهكذا عادتُه فافطَنُوا

وهكذا عادتُه فافطَنُوا

يَقُودُ في السِّرِّ على مَن يَلِيه

يَقُودُ في السِّرِّ على مَن يَلِيه

And such is his habit, so take heed:

he secretly acts as a pimp for those close to him.