زُرْ لِمَعْرُوفٍ سَلَفْ

زُرْ لِمَعْرُوفٍ سَلَفْ

أَوْ لِنَيْلٍ يُؤْتَنَفْ

أَوْ لِنَيْلٍ يُؤْتَنَفْ

Visit for a kindness bestowed before,

Visit someone you owe a favor

or for a benefit to be gained anew,

Or to gain new friendship

أَوْ قَديمٍ منْ شَرَفْ

أَوْ قَديمٍ منْ شَرَفْ

أَوْ لِعلْمٍ مُطَّرَفْ

أَوْ لِعلْمٍ مُطَّرَفْ

or for longstanding honor,

Or an old friend of nobility

or for newly acquired knowledge;

Or for exquisite knowledge

وَسِوَى هذا كَلَفْ

وَسِوَى هذا كَلَفْ

and anything beyond this is a burden.

Anything else would be pretense