صَديقٌa friend لَناof ours شكرُهُhis gratitude غائبٌabsent
صَديقٌ لَنا شكرُهُ غائبٌ
ولكنَّbut كُفرانَهُhis ingratitude شاهِدُpresent
ولكنَّ كُفرانَهُ شاهِدُ
A friend of ours—his gratitude is absent,
A friend whose thanks are absent
but his ingratitude is present.
But whose ingratitude is ever-present
صحيحُsound الجَوارحِthe limbs والعَقلُand the mind منهُof his
صحيحُ الجَوارحِ والعَقلُ منهُ
مريضٌill وتَدبيرُهُand his planning فاسِدُunsound
مريضٌ وتَدبيرُهُ فاسِدُ
He is sound of limb, but his mind
Sincere in speech and mind is he
is ill, and his planning is unsound.
Yet sick in conduct, and corrupt his strategy