وَكَم مِن أَخٍ لَو حَرَّمَ الماء لَم أَكُن

لَهُ وَلَو أَنّي مُتَّ ظَمآن شارِبا

How many a brother, had he denied me water, I would not have been

For him, even if I were utterly parched and thirsty.

فَظَنَّ بِهَذا وِدَّهُ لي تَطَوعَاً

وَودّي لَهُ فَرضاً عَليَّ وَواجِبا

So he fancied hereby that his love for me was voluntary,

While my love for him was a duty binding upon me.

فاعتَقَني ذا الظن مِن سوءِ مُلكِهِ

وَكُنتُ لَهُ عَبداً فَأَصبَحتُ صاحِبا

This fancy released me from his tyranny

And though I was his slave, I became his companion.

وَمَن ظَنَّ ألّا بُدَّ مِنهُ أَرَيتَهُ

بِصَبري عَنهُ ذَلِكَ الظَنُّ كاذِبا

And he who fancies that I cannot do without him shall see,

By my patience without him, that that fancy is false.

أَبيحَ لِخلّي مِن فُؤادي جانِباً

وَأَترُك لِلهُجرانِ إِن كانَ جانِبا

I allow an aspect of my heart to be a resort for my friend

And I leave a side for estrangement, if it keeps a side.

عَلى أَنَّني أَلقاهُ بِالبِشرِ حاضِراً

وَأَحفظه بِالغَيبِ إِن كانَ غائِباً

So that I meet him with a cheerful countenance when he is present

And I keep him in absence, if he is absent.

وَتِلكَ سَجايا لي أَعَمُّ بِها الوَرى

وَأَشرُك فيهن العِدى وَالأَقارِبا

Such are my qualities which I make all mankind aware of,

And in which I make foe and friend sharers.