إِذا جَمَعَ اِمرُؤٌ حَزماً وَعَقلاً

إِذا جَمَعَ اِمرُؤٌ حَزماً وَعَقلاً

فَحُقَّ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ أَن يُطاعا

فَحُقَّ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ أَن يُطاعا

If a man combines prudence and reason,

If a man gathers reason and wisdom,

then he deserves, for that, to be obeyed.

Then it is right that he should be obeyed.

إِذا ذو العَقلِ أَعطى النُصحَ مِنهُ

إِذا ذو العَقلِ أَعطى النُصحَ مِنهُ

عَديمَ العَقلِ ضَيَّعَهُ فَضاعا

عَديمَ العَقلِ ضَيَّعَهُ فَضاعا

If a man of reason offers counsel of his own

When the wise man gives advice,

to one devoid of reason, the latter wastes it and is lost.

The foolish reject it, thus it is lost.

وَكَيفَ بِصاحِبٍ إِن أَدنُ شِبراً

وَكَيفَ بِصاحِبٍ إِن أَدنُ شِبراً

يَزِدني في مُباعَدَةٍ ذِراعا

يَزِدني في مُباعَدَةٍ ذِراعا

And how am I to deal with a friend who, if I draw a handspan nearer,

How can one who comes closer by a handspan

moves a cubit farther away from me?

Only take me further by an arm's length?

أَبَت نَفسي لَهُ إِلّا وِصالاً

أَبَت نَفسي لَهُ إِلّا وِصالاً

وَتَأبى نَفسُهُ إِلّا اِنقِطاعا

وَتَأبى نَفسُهُ إِلّا اِنقِطاعا

My soul has refused all but closeness with him,

My soul desires only union with him

while his soul refuses all but separation.

While his desires only separation.

كِلانا جاهِدٌ أَدنو وَيَنأى

كِلانا جاهِدٌ أَدنو وَيَنأى

كَذَلِكَ ما اِستَطَعتُ وَما اِستَطاعا

كَذَلِكَ ما اِستَطَعتُ وَما اِستَطاعا

We both strive: I draw near, while he draws away,

We both struggle, I come closer and he moves away,

thus, as long as I can and as long as he can.

That is all I am capable of and all he is capable of.