إِذا كانَ في صَدرِ ابنِ عَمِّكَ إِحنَةً

إِذا كانَ في صَدرِ ابنِ عَمِّكَ إِحنَةً

فَلا تَستَثرها سَوفَ يَبدو دَفينُها

فَلا تَستَثرها سَوفَ يَبدو دَفينُها

If there is rancor in your kinsman’s breast,

If there is a grudge in your cousin's breast,

If in the heart of your cousin dwells rancour

do not stir it up; what lies buried will come to light.

then do not stir it up; what lies buried within it will emerge.

Do not probe it, for it will reveal its hidden dirt

وَإِن حَمأَةُ المَعروفِ أَعطاكَ صَفوَها

وَإِن حَمأَةُ المَعروفِ أَعطاكَ صَفوَها

فَخُذ عَفوَهُ لا يَلتَبِس بِكَ طينُها

فَخُذ عَفوَهُ لا يَلتَبِس بِكَ طينُها

And if the muddy pool of kindness gives you its clear water,

And if the mire of kindness gives you its clear portion,

And if the zeal of kindness gives you its essence

take its freely offered bounty, lest its mud cling to you.

then take its freely given portion; let not its mud cling to you.

Take pardon, lest its mud stick to you

مَتى ما يَسُؤ ظَنُّ امرِئٍ بِصَديقِهِ

مَتى ما يَسُؤ ظَنُّ امرِئٍ بِصَديقِهِ

يصدق بَلاغاتٍ يَجِئهُ يَقينُها

يصدق بَلاغاتٍ يَجِئهُ يَقينُها

Whenever a man’s opinion of his friend turns sour,

Whenever a man thinks ill of his friend,

Whenever someone thinks ill of a friend

he believes the reports he hears, and their certainty comes to him.

he believes reports whose certainty reaches him.

He believes the slander, his certainty proven