وَأَخٍ بَشِعتُ بِعُرفِهِ وَمَذاقِهِ

وَأَخٍ بَشِعتُ بِعُرفِهِ وَمَذاقِهِ

وَمَلِلتُ عُنفَ قِيادِهِ وَسِياقِهِ

وَمَلِلتُ عُنفَ قِيادِهِ وَسِياقِهِ

And a brother's scent and taste disgusted me,

I turned away in disgust from a brother, repelled by his character and behavior.

and I wearied of his harsh leading and driving.

I grew weary of the harshness of his leadership and his ways.

فَمَنَحتُهُ بَعدَ الوِصالِ قَطيعَةً

فَمَنَحتُهُ بَعدَ الوِصالِ قَطيعَةً

شَدَّت عَلى الزَفَراتِ عِقدَ نِطاقِهِ

شَدَّت عَلى الزَفَراتِ عِقدَ نِطاقِهِ

So after closeness I granted him estrangement,

After intimacy, I severed ties with him,

which tightened his girdle's knot over his sighs.

Tightening the knot of estrangement with sighs.

فَاِذَهب فَكَم فارَقتُ قَبلَكَ صاحِباً

فَاِذَهب فَكَم فارَقتُ قَبلَكَ صاحِباً

عايَنتُ شَخصَ الجَورِ في حِملاقِهِ

عايَنتُ شَخصَ الجَورِ في حِملاقِهِ

So go—for many a companion have I left before you,

So go now! How many a friend have I parted with before you,

in whose inner eyelid I saw injustice embodied.

When I saw the face of injustice in his arrogance.

لَو مُتَّ لَم تَعدِل وَفاتُكَ بَغتَةً

لَو مُتَّ لَم تَعدِل وَفاتُكَ بَغتَةً

حُلماً يُخَوِّفُني بِيَومِ فِراقِهِ

حُلماً يُخَوِّفُني بِيَومِ فِراقِهِ

Were you to die, your sudden death would not equal

If you were to die suddenly, your loss would not equal

a dream that frightens me with the day of his parting.

A dream that startles me with the fear of our separation.

حَشَمُ الصَديقِ عُيونُهُم بَحّاثَةٌ

حَشَمُ الصَديقِ عُيونُهُم بَحّاثَةٌ

لِصَديقِهِ عَن صِدقِهِ وَنِفاقِهِ

لِصَديقِهِ عَن صِدقِهِ وَنِفاقِهِ

The eyes of a friend's attendants probe deeply

The looks of friends scrutinize for faults,

into his sincerity and hypocrisy, for his friend.

Doubting a friend's sincerity and hypocrisy.

فَليَنظُرَنَّ المَرءُ مَن غِلمانُهُ

فَليَنظُرَنَّ المَرءُ مَن غِلمانُهُ

فَهُمُ خَلائِقُهُ عَلى أَخلاقِهِ

فَهُمُ خَلائِقُهُ عَلى أَخلاقِهِ

So let a man look closely at who his young servants are,

So let a man look well at his servants,

for they are his creatures, patterned on his character.

For they reflect his morals and behavior.