مُؤاخاةُ الفَتى البَطَرِ البَطينِ

تُهَيِّجُ قَرحَةَ الداءِ الدَفينِ

The friendship of an impetuous youth

Reopens the wound of a deep-seated malady,

وَتُدخِلُ في اليَقينِ عَلَيكَ شَكّاً

وَلا شَيءٌ أَعَزَّ مِنَ اليَقينِ

And makes one doubt your certitude—

Yet nothing is more precious than certitude.

فَدَعهُ وَاِستَجِر بِاللَهِ مِنهُ

فَجارَ اللَهِ في حِصنٍ حَصينِ

So leave him be, and seek refuge in God from him,

For God's refuge is an impenetrable fortress.

أَأَغفُلُ وَالمَنايا مُقبِلاتٌ

عَلَيَّ وَأَشتَري الدُنيا بِديني

Shall I be heedless while death draws near

And barter my faith for this world?

وَلَو أَنّي عَقَلتُ لَطالَ حُزني

وَرُمتُ إِخاءَ كُلِّ أَخٍ حَزينِ

Had I been reasonable my sadness would have lasted long,

And I would have rejected the brotherhood of every sorrowful brother.

وَأَظمَأتُ النَهارَ لِرَوحِ قَلبي

وَبِتُّ اللَيلَ مُفتَرِشاً جَبيني

I would have thirsted through the days for the spirit of my heart,

And spent the nights lying with my forehead to the ground.