أَنّى يَكونُ أَخاً أَو ذا مُحافَظَةٍ

أَنّى يَكونُ أَخاً أَو ذا مُحافَظَةٍ

مَن أَنتَ مِن غَيبِهِ مُستَشعِرٌ وَجَلا

مَن أَنتَ مِن غَيبِهِ مُستَشعِرٌ وَجَلا

How can he be a brother, or a man of loyalty—

How can one be a brother or one of moral character

one whose actions out of sight leave you apprehensive and afraid?

When you are suspicious of him in his absence, alarmed and anxious,

إِذا تَغَيَّبتَ لَم تَبرَح تَظُنُّ بِهِ

إِذا تَغَيَّبتَ لَم تَبرَح تَظُنُّ بِهِ

ظَنّاً وَتَسأَلُ عَمّا قالَ أَو فَعَلا

ظَنّاً وَتَسأَلُ عَمّا قالَ أَو فَعَلا

Whenever you are absent, you never cease suspecting him,

If you are away from him you continue to doubt him

harboring doubts and asking what he said or did.

With suspicion, and ask about what he said or did,

يُري الصَديقَ لَهُ مِنهُ مُكاشَرَةً

يُري الصَديقَ لَهُ مِنهُ مُكاشَرَةً

كَيما يَصولَ بِهِ يَوماً إِذا غَفَلا

كَيما يَصولَ بِهِ يَوماً إِذا غَفَلا

He shows his friend a tooth-baring smile

He shows intimacy towards a friend of his

so that one day he may attack him when he is off guard.

So that one day when he is unawares, he may attack him,

فَلا عَداوَتُهُ تَبدو فَتَعرِفُها

فَلا عَداوَتُهُ تَبدو فَتَعرِفُها

مِنهُ وَلا وُدُّهُ يَوماً لَهُ اِعتَدَلا

مِنهُ وَلا وُدُّهُ يَوماً لَهُ اِعتَدَلا

Thus his enmity never shows itself for you to recognize,

His enmity does not appear for you to recognize it,

nor is his affection for him ever true and even.

Nor does his love for you ever become balanced.