حَتّامَhow long أَمنَحُكَI grant you المَوَدَّةَaffection وَالوَفاand fidelity
حَتّامَ أَمنَحُكَ المَوَدَّةَ وَالوَفا
وَتَسومُنيand you impose upon me قَصدَthe pursuit of القَطيعَةِestrangement وَالجَفاand coldness
وَتَسومُني قَصدَ القَطيعَةِ وَالجَفا
How long shall I grant you affection and fidelity,
Even as I offer you affection and loyalty
while you subject me to deliberate estrangement and coldness?
You accuse me of seeking to sever ties and abandon
ياO عاتِباًone who reproaches لِجَريرَةٍfor an offense لَمdid not أَجِنهاcommit it
يا عاتِباً لِجَريرَةٍ لَم أَجِنها
ظَنّاًsupposing بِأَنَّthat وَفايَmy fidelity كانَwas تَكَلُّفاpretense
ظَنّاً بِأَنَّ وَفايَ كانَ تَكَلُّفا
O you who reproach me for an offense I did not commit,
O critic, for an error I did not commit
supposing that my fidelity was mere pretense!
Thinking my devotion was merely pretense
بِاللَهِby God لِمwhy ثَقُلَتbecame burdensome عَليكَto you رَسائِليmy letters
بِاللَهِ لِم ثَقُلَت عَليكَ رَسائِلي
هَذاthis وَأَنتَthough you are أَجَلُّthe noblest إِخوانِbrothers of الصَفاsincerity
هَذا وَأَنتَ أَجَلُّ إِخوانِ الصَفا
By God, why have my letters become a burden to you?
By Allah, why do my messages weigh on you
This, though you are the noblest of true friends!
When you are the dearest of brothers to me
وَلِمَand why اِطَّلَعتَyou looked عَلىupon جِبالِthe mountains of مَوَدَّتيmy affection
وَلِمَ اِطَّلَعتَ عَلى جِبالِ مَوَدَّتي
فَجَعَلتَهاthen you made them بِالهَجرِthrough abandonment قاعاًa plain صَفصَفاbare and level
فَجَعَلتَها بِالهَجرِ قاعاً صَفصَفا
And why did you look upon the mountains of my affection,
And why have you looked upon my mountains of affection
only to turn them, through abandonment, into a bare, level plain?
Only to make them, through estrangement, a barren wasteland
هَبsuppose أَنَّنيthat I أَغلَظتُmade harsh قَوليmy words عاتِباًreproaching
هَب أَنَّني أَغلَظتُ قَولي عاتِباً
أَيَجوزُis it permissible? أَنthat يُقلىbe hated الصَديقُthe friend إِذاwhen هَفاhe errs
أَيَجوزُ أَن يُقلى الصَديقُ إِذا هَفا
Suppose I made my words harsh in reproach:
Grant that my words in censure were harsh
is it right for a friend to be hated when he errs?
Is it right that a friend be scorched when he errs?
إِنَّindeed الصَديقَthe friend إِذاwhen تَأَكَّدَbecame firmly established حَقُّهُhis claim
إِنَّ الصَديقَ إِذا تَأَكَّدَ حَقُّهُ
بِالوُدِّthrough affection أَغلَظَhe was stern فيin العِتابِreproach وَعَنَّفاand rebuked harshly
بِالوُدِّ أَغلَظَ في العِتابِ وَعَنَّفا
For when a friend's claim is firmly established
When a friend is assured of his right
by affection, he reproaches sternly and rebukes harshly.
His rebuke in love is more forceful and impassioned
وَكَذاand likewise سَميعُthe hearer of العَتبِreproach فيin حالِa state of الرِضىgoodwill
وَكَذا سَميعُ العَتبِ في حالِ الرِضى
يُغضيoverlooks لَهُfor him وَإِذاand when تَحَرَّفَhe turns hostile حَرَّفاhe distorts it
يُغضي لَهُ وَإِذا تَحَرَّفَ حَرَّفا
Likewise, the hearer of reproach, when well disposed,
And so the tolerant listener in times of contentment
overlooks it for his sake; but when hostile, twists it.
Overlooks and if he swerves, swerves with him
كَالراحِlike wine تُدعىis called الإِثمَsin عِندَat مَلالِهاweariness of it
كَالراحِ تُدعى الإِثمَ عِندَ مَلالِها
وَمَعَand with الرِضىpleasure تُدعىis called السُلافَthe choicest wine القَرقَفاshiver-inducing wine
وَمَعَ الرِضى تُدعى السُلافَ القَرقَفا
Like wine, called 'sin' when one tires of it,
Like the wind, called sinful in its languor
and when it pleases, called 'choice, shiver-inducing wine.'
And called agreeable companion at peace
Sol 6.1