وَلَيسَ صَديقاً مَن إِذا قُلتَ لَفظَةً

يُحاوِلُ في أَثناءِ مَوقِعِها أَمراً

He is no friend who, when you utter a word,

Seeks amid its delivery to accomplish something.

وَلَكِنَّهُ مَن لَو قَطَعتَ بَنانَهُ

تَوَهَّمَهُ قَصداً لِمَصلَحَةٍ أُخرى

But he is a friend who, were you to cut off his fingers,

Would think you meant it for some other good purpose.