تباعد ما استطعتَ من الشقوق

وأرشد من عناكَ إلى الطريق

Keep your distance from faults as much as you can,

Keep far, as best you can, from causing rifts,

And guide those who rely on you to the path.

And guide the one who seeks you to the path.

ولط بالخلقِ كلّهمُ جميعاً

فإنّ العيشَ في الدين الرقيق

Be gentle with all people,

Be gentle with the people, all of them,

For living morally is the finest life.

For life lies in a creed that is lenient.

وهب للنارِ نفسَكَ في هواها

وجاهر لا عدمتُكَ بالفسوقِ

Give yourself to love’s fire passionately,

And yield your soul to the Fire in its desire,

And openly declare, I will never commit wrongs.

And openly declare—may you remain—your vice.

وأيرُكَ ما استطعتَ فصنهُ إلّا

عن الخلواتِ بالرشأ العتيقِ

Protect all you can, except

Safeguard your member strictly as you can,

From seclusions with the noble old wine.

Save from seclusion with a noble fawn.

ولا تقبل بهِ أحداً بديلاً

وخذ في ذاكَ بالراي الوثيق

Accept no one else as a substitute,

Accept no substitute in place of him,

And in this be of strong, sound opinion.

And take this as the firm, reliable view.

وإنّي ناصحٌ لكَ فاتّبعني

ودَعني من ثنيّات الطريق

I advise you sincerely, so follow me,

I am a sincere advisor, so follow me,

And leave me be, O winding turns in the road.

And leave aside the winding, crooked roads.