أَسُرُّ خَليلي شاهِدا وَأَبَرَّه

وَأَحفظه بالغَيب حين يَغيبُ

I confide in my friend as a witness and make him pure,

I gladden my friend when he is present and treat him with kindness,

And keep him in my heart when he is absent.

And I guard his honor in the unseen when he is away.

وَإِنّي لسهل الوَجه للمُبتَغي النَدى

وَإِنَّ فِنائي للقِرى لَرَحيب

My face is gentle towards the seeker of companionship,

Indeed, I am cheerful of face for the one seeking favors,

And my abode is spacious for neighbors.

And my courtyard is truly spacious for hospitality.

أَضاحك ضَيفي قَبلَ إِنزال رحله

وَيُخصَب عِندي وَالمَحَلُّ جَديب

I make my guest laugh before he dismounts,

I smile at my guest before he even unloads his saddle,

And he finds fertility with me though the place is barren.

And he finds abundance with me even when the land is barren.

وَما الخَصبُ للأَضياف أَن يَكثُر القِرى

وَلَكِنَّما وَجه الكَريم خَصيب

Fertility for guests is not in plenty of neighbors,

For abundance for guests is not merely that the food be plentiful,

But in the face of the generous being fertile.

But rather, the face of the generous man is the true abundance.

وَإِنّي لَتَصفو للخَليل سَريرَتي

وَإِن جُعلت أَشياءُ منه تَريب

And my inner self is pure for the friend,

My inner self remains pure towards my friend,

Even if some aspects seemed doubtful.

Even if actions arise from him that cause suspicion.

أُعاتِبه مَزحاً وأَعرِض بِالَّتي

لَها بَين أَثناء الضُلوع دَبيب

I reproach him playfully and turn away coquettishly,

I admonish him in jest, and I hint at the grievance

With a throbbing in the chest between the ribs.

That creeps softly between the ribs.

أَخاف لجاجاتِ العِتاب بِصاحِبي

وَللجهل مِن قَلب الحَليم نَصيب

I fear insisting reproaches towards my companion,

I fear the persistence of blaming my companion,

For ignorance has a share in the heart of the forbearing.

For even within the heart of the forbearing, ignorance claims a share.

أذِلّ له حَتّى كَأَنّي بِذَنبِهِ

إِليَّ بِذَنب لي إِلَيهِ أَتوب

I humble myself to him as if I had sinned against him,

I humble myself to him, until it seems as if his sin

Repenting to him a sin of mine against him.

Were a sin of mine against him for which I repent.

لِيَحيى دَفينٌ مِن مَودَّة بَينَنا

فَيُخلَف ظَنُّ أَو يَئوب غَريب

So a hidden love may live between us,

So that a buried affection between us may revive,

And so suspicion passes or a stranger departs.

And suspicion is dispelled, or the estranged one returns.

فَإِن فاءَ لَم أَعدُد عَلَيهِ ذُنوبه

وَهَل بعد فيئات الرِجال ذُنوب

If he returns I do not recount his sins,

If he returns, I do not count his faults against him,

Do men's sins persist after their return?

For after the reconciliation of men, do sins remain?

وَإِن لَجَّ في هَجري صفحت تكرّماً

لَعَلَّ الحجا بعد العُزوب يَثوب

If he is harsh in shunning me, I pardon generously,

And if he persists in abandoning me, I pardon him out of nobility,

Perhaps the estranged after aloofness will return.

Hoping that wisdom, after its absence, might return.

وَصنت أَديم الوَجه منه وَلَم يَزَل

وَفائي لَهُ حَتّى يَزولَ عَسيب

I protected the skin of my face from him but my loyalty

I preserved his dignity, and my loyalty to him

To him did not decline until anguish departed.

Has never ceased, and will remain until Mount 'Asib vanishes.

وَلَم أُفشِ سِرّاً كانَ بَيني وَبينَه

وَللسرّ راعٍ حافِظٌ وَرَقيبُ

I did not divulge a secret between us,

I have never divulged a secret that was between us,

For the secret has a keeper and guardian.

For the secret has a shepherd, a keeper, and a watchman.

فَإِنّي لَذو قَلبين قَلبٌ مضيَّع

وَقَلبٌ جَبان أن سألت هيوب

I have two hearts; a wasted heart,

For I possess two hearts: a heart that is daring,

And a coward heart if you ask it to attack.

And a heart that is cowardly, should you ask, and fearful.

جَرىءٌ عَلى ما زَيّن العِرضَ هائِب

لتلك الَّتي يَخزى بِها وَيَحوب

Brave for what virtue made forbidden,

Bold regarding what adorns my honor, yet fearful

Fleeing from that which would shame and perturb.

Of that which brings disgrace and leads to sin.

أُشاوِر أَهلَ الرأي فيما يَنوبني

وَإِن كانَ لي رأيٌ أَحَدٌّ صَليب

I consult the people of wisdom in what befalls me,

I consult the people of wisdom in the calamities that befall me,

Even if I have an opinion, sharp as a spearhead.

Even though I possess a judgment that is sharp and firm.

فَما أَرَ لا يُشَكِل عَليَّ صَوابه

وَأَحدِس فيما لا أَرى فأصيب

What I see clearly, its correctness does not confuse me,

In what I see, the right path is not ambiguous to me,

And I intuit what I do not see, and hit the mark.

And I use intuition in what remains unseen, and I strike true.

وَلا أَدَعّي بِالجَهل عِلماً لِسائِل

وَلا أَحسدُ المَسئول حينَ يُجيب

I do not claim knowledge for a questioner in ignorance,

I do not feign knowledge out of ignorance to a questioner,

Nor envy the questioned when he responds.

Nor do I ask the children about the face of my neighbor,

وَلا أَسأل الوِلدانَ عَن وَجه جارَتي

بَعيداً وَلا أَرعاه وَهوَ قَريب

I do not ask the youths about my neighbor’s face,

Neither from afar, nor do I watch her when she is near.

From afar or up close.