لاdo not تكثِرنَّkeep heaping up عِتَابَreproach مَنone who لمhas not يُعتِبِmade amends
لا تكثِرنَّ عِتَابَ مَن لم يُعتِبِ
فمِنfor among العَنَاءِhardships قِيادُleading غَيرِone who is not المُصْحِبِwilling to follow
فمِن العَنَاءِ قِيادُ غَيرِ المُصْحِبِ
Do not keep reproaching one who will not make amends;
Do not blame repeatedly those who do not blame,
For leading one who will not follow is a wearying task.
For guiding others than companions is distress.
بينbetween السّلُوِّforgetting love وبينَand between قلبِthe heart أَخِيa brother of الهَوىlove
بين السّلُوِّ وبينَ قلبِ أَخِي الهَوى
ماwhat lies بينَbetween شرقٍeast فيin البِعادdistance ومغْرِبِand west
ما بينَ شرقٍ في البِعاد ومغْرِبِ
Between forgetting love and a lover's heart
Between nightly comfort and the heart of my beloved,
Lies the distance between east and west.
Is the distance between East and West horizons.
يُصغِيhe listens فتحسَبُهso you suppose him اُرعَوىto have come to his senses ولِذكرِand to the mention of منthe one whom
يُصغِي فتحسَبُه اُرعَوى ولِذكرِ من
يَهوَىhe loves أصاخَhe lent his ear ولمand did not يُصِخlisten لمؤنِّبِto a reprover
يَهوَى أصاخَ ولم يُصِخ لمؤنِّبِ
He listens, so you think he has come to his senses; yet it was to the mention of the one
He seems inattentive but for the one he loves,
He loves that he lent his ear, not to a reprover.
He is wakeful though no reproacher rouses him.
والغَيُّand folly ماwhat أبصرتَهyou have seen of it منof رُشدِهhis good sense
والغَيُّ ما أبصرتَه من رُشدِه
والغِشُّand deceit نُصحُthe counsel الناصِحِof the adviser المتَقرِّبِseeking favor
والغِشُّ نُصحُ الناصِحِ المتَقرِّبِ
And what you have seen of his good sense is folly;
What you see as error is his rectitude,
And the counsel of the adviser seeking favor is deceit.
And the good advice of one who curries favor is deception.
Sol 6.1