أَخٌ وَحَريمٌ سَيِّئٌ إِن قَطَعتَهُ

فَقَطعُ سُعودٍ هَدمُها لَكَ هادِمُ

A brother and kin who has turned evil, if you sever ties with him

Then the destruction of bonds is for you a demolisher

وَقَفتَ عَلى ثِنتَينِ إِحداهُما دَمٌ

وَأُخرى بِها مِنّا تُحَزُّ الغَلاصِمُ

You have stood at a fork, one path is blood

The other, through which we restrain the mighty

فَما أَنتَ إِلّا بَينَ هاتَينِ غائِصٌ

وَكِلتاهُما بَحرٌ وَذو الغَيِّ نادِمُ

You are naught but between these two, lost

Both are an ocean, and he who erred will regret

فَمَنقَصَةٌ في هَذِهِ وَمَذَلَّةٌ

وَشَرٌّ شِمِرٌّ بَينَكُم مُتَفاقِمُ

So loss in this, and humiliation

And evil, festering among you, growing rife

وَكُلُّ حِميمٍ أَو أَخٍ ذي قَرابَةٍ

لَكَ اليَومَ حَتّى آخِرِ الدَهرِ لائِمُ

And each dear friend or brother by blood

Will blame you today until the end of time

فَأَخِّر فَإِنَّ الشَرَّ يَحسُنُ آخِراً

وَقَدِّم فَإِنَّ الحُرَّ لِلغَيظِ كاظِمُ

So wait, for evil is seemly late

And rush, for the noble can tame their rage