أَبى صاحِبي بَذلي وَبَيعي كِلَيهِما

أَبى صاحِبي بَذلي وَبَيعي كِلَيهِما

هوَ المَرءُ يَستَغني وَيُحمَدُ صاحِبُه

هوَ المَرءُ يَستَغني وَيُحمَدُ صاحِبُه

My companion refused both my free gift and my offer to sell.

My companion refused both my giving and my selling.

He is a man who remains self-sufficient, and whose companion is praised.

He is a man who is self-sufficient, while his companion is praised.

فَقُلتُ وَبَعضُ الظَنِّ يَكذِبُ أَهلَهُ

فَقُلتُ وَبَعضُ الظَنِّ يَكذِبُ أَهلَهُ

وَيَصدُقُهُم وَأَكثَرُ الظَنِّ كاذِبُه

وَيَصدُقُهُم وَأَكثَرُ الظَنِّ كاذِبُه

So I said: Some suspicions prove those who harbor them wrong,

So I said—some conjecture deceives those who hold it,

and some prove them right—though most suspicion is false.

and some proves true for them, though most conjecture is false—

لَعَلَّ أَخي لَمّا رأَى حُسنَ شيمَتي

لَعَلَّ أَخي لَمّا رأَى حُسنَ شيمَتي

وَليني إِلَيهِ ظَنَّ أَنّي أُوارِبُه

وَليني إِلَيهِ ظَنَّ أَنّي أُوارِبُه

Perhaps my brother, when he saw the goodness of my character

Perhaps my brother, when he saw the goodness of my character

and my gentleness toward him, thought that I was deceiving him.

and my gentleness toward him, thought I was deceiving him.

وَكُنتُ امرءً والعِلمُ لِلَه لا أَرى

وَكُنتُ امرءً والعِلمُ لِلَه لا أَرى

أَخي وَخَليلي كالبَعيدِ أُخالِبُه

أَخي وَخَليلي كالبَعيدِ أُخالِبُه

Yet I was a man—and God alone has true knowledge—who would never regard

And I was a man—and knowledge belongs to God—who did not regard

my brother and intimate friend as a stranger to be beguiled.

my brother and close friend as a stranger whom I would beguile.

وَأُعطيتُ حَظّاً مِن حَياءٍ وَأَشتَكي

وَأُعطيتُ حَظّاً مِن حَياءٍ وَأَشتَكي

مِنَ العَجزِ ما لَم يَبدُ لِلناس غائِبُه

مِنَ العَجزِ ما لَم يَبدُ لِلناس غائِبُه

I was endowed with a measure of modesty, and I suffer

And I was given a share of modesty, and I suffer

from an incapacity whose hidden extent has not appeared to people.

from a weakness whose hidden side has not become apparent to people.