لاdo not تقطعِcut off البِرَّkindness إنَّindeed قطعَكَهyour cutting it off
لا تقطعِ البِرَّ إنَّ قطعَكَه
يقطعcuts off ماwhat تستحقُّyou deserve منof شُكرِgratitude
يقطع ما تستحقُّ من شُكرِ
Do not withhold kindness, even if they withhold it from you;
Do not cut off kindness, for your cutting it off
for that cuts off the gratitude you deserve.
cuts off the gratitude you deserve.
منwhoever صنعdid البرَّgood ثمthen تَبَّرَهُdestroyed it
من صنع البرَّ ثم تَبَّرَهُ
عرضَهُexposed it للجحودِto denial والكُفرِand ingratitude
عرضَهُ للجحودِ والكُفرِ
Whoever does a kindness and then ruins it
Whoever does good and then destroys it
exposes it to denial and ingratitude.
exposes it to denial and ingratitude.
والعُرفُand kindness إنif لمnot تكنyou are تُتَمِّمُهُyou complete it
والعُرفُ إن لم تكن تُتَمِّمُهُ
صارَbecame قريبَclose المعنىin meaning منto النكرِwrongdoing
صارَ قريبَ المعنى من النكرِ
And kindness, if you do not carry it through,
And kindness, if you do not complete it,
becomes, in meaning, akin to wrongdoing.
comes close in meaning to wrongdoing.
