إِقرَأ كِتابَكَ وَاِعتَبِرهُ قَريباً

إِقرَأ كِتابَكَ وَاِعتَبِرهُ قَريباً

فَكَفى بِنَفسِكَ لي عَليكَ حَسيبا

فَكَفى بِنَفسِكَ لي عَليكَ حَسيبا

Read your letter and reflect on it soon;

Read your book and take heed of it, my friend

For you yourself suffice as a reckoner for me against you.

For your own soul is enough reckoning for me

أَكَذا يَكونُ خِطابُ إِخوانِ الصَفا

أَكَذا يَكونُ خِطابُ إِخوانِ الصَفا

إِن راسَلوا جَعَلوا الخِطابَ خُطوبا

إِن راسَلوا جَعَلوا الخِطابَ خُطوبا

Is this how brothers in pure friendship address one another?

Such is the address of the sincere brothers

If they correspond, they turn their letters into calamities.

When they write, they make the letter preaching

ما كانَ عُذري لَو أَجَبتُ بِمِثلِهِ

ما كانَ عُذري لَو أَجَبتُ بِمِثلِهِ

أَو كُنتُ بِالعَتَبِ العَنيفِ مُجيبا

أَو كُنتُ بِالعَتَبِ العَنيفِ مُجيبا

What excuse would I have if I replied in kind,

I would have no excuse if I responded likewise

Or answered with harsh reproach?

Or if I answered with harsh reproach

لَكِنَّني خِفتُ اِنتِقاضَ مَوَدَّتي

لَكِنَّني خِفتُ اِنتِقاضَ مَوَدَّتي

فَتَعُدَّ إِحساني لَدَيكَ ذُنوبا

فَتَعُدَّ إِحساني لَدَيكَ ذُنوبا

But I feared my affection would unravel,

But I feared damaging our affection

And you would count my kindness toward you as sins.

Lest my favors become sins to you