إِذا كُنتَ مُعتَدّاً خَليلاً فَلا يَرُق

إِذا كُنتَ مُعتَدّاً خَليلاً فَلا يَرُق

عَلى ما لَدَيكَ المُستَدِقّ بَخيلُ

عَلى ما لَدَيكَ المُستَدِقّ بَخيلُ

If you would count someone a friend, let your favor not be won

If you are a friend accustomed to pride, no gentle heart will bear it

By a miser, however meagre your possessions.

However much you receive from me, in truth, your lack is baseness and acceptance

فَإِنَّكَ مَهما تَلقَ مِنّي فَإنَّما

فَإِنَّكَ مَهما تَلقَ مِنّي فَإنَّما

قُصارُكَ ذُلٌّ صادِقٌ وَقَبولُ

قُصارُكَ ذُلٌّ صادِقٌ وَقَبولُ

For whatever you find in me, this alone

I am not one who turns away when we meet, frowning like an angry man when he speaks

Is your lot: sincere humility and acceptance.

Nor a murmurer like a she-camel, her sending forth long and her bleating two days then ceasing

وَلَستُ بِمِعراضٍ إِذا ما لَقيتُهُ

وَلَستُ بِمِعراضٍ إِذا ما لَقيتُهُ

تَعَبَّسَ كالغَضبانِ حينَ يَقولُ

تَعَبَّسَ كالغَضبانِ حينَ يَقولُ

Nor am I like a surly fellow who, when I meet him,

Nor am I like a coward who hears people's defeat of him, while under loud noise there is a besieger and surrounding foe

Scowls like an angry man as he speaks.

وَلا بَسبَسٍ كالعَنزِ أَطوَلُ رِسلِها

وَلا بَسبَسٍ كالعَنزِ أَطوَلُ رِسلِها

وَرِئمانِها يومانِ ثُمَّ يَزولُ

وَرِئمانِها يومانِ ثُمَّ يَزولُ

Nor a scant giver, like a goat, whose longest flow of milk

And maternal affection last two days, then vanish.

وَلَستُ كَجِلبٍ يَسمَعُ الناسُ هَزمَهُ

وَلَستُ كَجِلبٍ يَسمَعُ الناسُ هَزمَهُ

وَتَحتَ الحَفيفِ حاصِرٌ وَمُحوِلُ

وَتَحتَ الحَفيفِ حاصِرٌ وَمُحوِلُ

Nor am I like a thundercloud whose rumbling people hear,

Yet beneath the rustling lies a rain-withholding, barren cloud.