1. ما كان لِله مِنْ وُدٍّ ومِنْ صِلَةٍ

    يَظلُّ في زَحْمَةِ الأَيَّامِ مَوْصُولا

    What is for God's sake—affection and connection—

    Remains joined amid the press of days.

  2. يظلُّ ريّانَ مِنْ صِدقِ الوَفاءِ بِه

    يُغْني الحياةَ هُدىً قد كان مأمولا

    It stays well-watered by sincere fidelity to it,

    Enriching life with guidance that had been hoped for.

  3. كأنّه الزّهَرُ الفوَّاحُ روضتُه

    هذي الحَياةُ يَمُدُّ العُمْر تجميلا

    It is like a fragrant blossom, whose garden

    Is this life; it lends beauty to life's span.

  4. ما أَجْملَ العُمرَ في بِرّ الوفاءِ وما

    أَحْلى أَمانيه تقديراً وتفعيلا

    How beautiful life is in the goodness of fidelity, and how

    Sweet its hopes are, valued and brought to life!

  5. وما يكون لِغَيْر الله لا عَجَبٌ

    إِذا تَغَيَّرَ تقطيعاً وتبْديلا

    And whatever is for other than God—no wonder

    If it changes through severance and alteration.

  6. لا يُفسِد الودّ مِثْلُ الظنِّ يَفْتَحُ مِنْ

    شَرٍّ ولا يَرْتضي للخَيْر تَعْليلا

    Nothing spoils affection like suspicion, which opens the way to

    Evil and accepts no explanation for good.

  7. يَظَلُّ يُغلِقُ أَبوابَ الرضا غضباً

    جَهْلاً وينشُر إِفساداً وتَضْليلا

    It keeps shutting the gates of contentment in anger,

    In ignorance, spreading corruption and misguidance.

  8. تُبْنَى المودَّةُ مِنْ جُهْدِ السّنينَ رضاً

    ويَهْدِمُ الظنُّ ما نَبْنِيه تَعْجِيلا

    Affection is built through years of effort, in contentment,

    Yet suspicion hastily tears down what we build.

  9. وتُشْرِقُ النَّفسُ من نُور الهُدى أَملاً

    حقّاً ويمْلؤُهُا ظنُّ الهوى قَيلا

    And the soul shines with the light of guidance, filled with hope,

    True hope; yet desire's suspicion fills it with hearsay.

  10. يَظلُّ بالظنِّ صَدْرُ المرءِ مُضطرباً

    " بالقيل والقال " تَحْويراً و تأوِيلا

    Through suspicion, a person's breast remains troubled,

    By 'he said, she said,' by distortion and interpretation.

  11. يَجْلو التَّبَيُّنُ ما في الصَّدرِ من رِيَبٍ

    ويحفظُ الودَّ مَجْلوّاً ومأمولا

    Verification clears away the doubts within the breast,

    And preserves affection, unclouded and hoped for.

  12. يَبْني التُّقى النُّصحَ بين الناس نَهْجَ وَفَا

    ويَحْسب الظنُّ نهجَ النصح تجهيلا

    Piety builds sincere counsel among people as a path of fidelity,

    But suspicion takes the way of counsel as a charge of ignorance.

  13. يظَلُّ بِالنُّصْحِ حَبْلُ الوُدِّ مُتَّصِلاً

    بِراً وصَفْواً وإحساناً وتنْوِيلا

    Through sincere counsel, the cord of affection remains joined,

    In kindness, purity, beneficence, and giving.

  14. كمْ مَزّق الظنُّ مَنْ قَدْ كَانَ يجمعهم

    صدقُ الهُدى ووفاءً كان مبذولاً

    How often has suspicion torn apart those once united by

    The truth of guidance and fidelity that was given!

  15. حَالتْ بِهِمْ صُورُ الأيّام واخْتلفَتْ

    بِهِمْ ليالٍ وعاد الحبْل مَبْتُولا

    The shapes of the days changed for them, and

    Their nights grew different; the cord became severed.

  16. وكيف يَصْدقُ ظَنٌ دُونَ بَيِّنَةٍ

    تردُّ من شُبْهةٍ ،تَنْفي الأقَاويلا

    And how can suspicion be true without clear evidence

    That turns one back from doubt and refutes the rumors?

  17. هذا هو الدِّين والإِيمانُ بَيَّنَهُ

    لنا الكتابُ بياناً ليس مجهولاً

    This is religion and faith; it was made clear

    To us by the Book, in an explanation that is not obscure.

  18. فأيْنَ ، ويْحيَ ، أنْداءُ الظِّلال وقَدْ

    سَرَى النَّسيمُ بها بُشرى وتهْليلا

    Where, then—alas for me—are the dewdrops of the shadows, when

    The breeze has drifted through them with glad tidings and exultation?

  19. تُلقي النَّميمةُ أَلوانَ الفسادِ وقد

    تُخْفي الحقيقةَ تزويراً وتهويلاً

    Tale-bearing spreads shades of corruption, and may

    Conceal the truth through falsification and exaggeration.

  20. تُزَيِّنَ الشرَّ بين الناسِ ! تَقْطَعُ من

    وشائجٍ ! تَقْتُل الإنسانَ تقتيلاَ

    It makes evil attractive among people! It severs

    Bonds! It slaughters human beings.

  21. ما بين غِيْبةِ مُغْتابٍ وفِرْيَتِهِ

    تفرّقَ الناسُ تشتيتاً وتضليلا

    Between a backbiter's backbiting and his slander,

    People became divided, scattered and led astray.

  22. تمزَّقت رِحمٌ مَوْصُولةٌ بِهِمِ

    فَبَاتَ لحْمُهُمُ مَيْتاً ومأكولا

    The kinship that bound them was torn apart,

    So their flesh lay dead and devoured.

  23. نُعْمى مِن الله !حُسْنُ الظنّ بابُ تُقىً

    يُدني الحقيقْة أو يَنْفي الأباطيلا

    A blessing from God! Thinking well of others is a gate to piety,

    Bringing truth near or dispelling falsehoods.

  24. وإِنَّه الصِّدقُ يَجْلو كُلَّ خَافيةٍ

    ويُنْزِلُ الحقَّ في الأَحْناءِ تَنْزيلا

    And it is indeed truthfulness; it reveals every hidden thing,

    And settles truth firmly within the inner folds.

  25. صدقٌ ونُصْحٌ وصَفْوٌ في النفوس بَدَا

    عَزْماً يَظَلُّ مَعَ الإيمانِ مَبْذولا

    Truthfulness, sincere counsel, and purity appeared in souls

    As resolve continually exerted alongside faith.

  26. لا يَربْطُ النَّاسَ في الإسلام غَيْر عُرى

    عَهْدٍ توثَّقَ تكريماً وتفضيلا

    Nothing binds people in Islam except the bonds of

    A covenant secured in honor and favor—

  27. عَهْدٍ مع الله شَدَّتهُ النّفوسُ تُقىً

    جيلاً يَمُدُّ على حَبْل الوفا جيلا

    A covenant with God, drawn tight by souls in piety,

    Generation sustaining generation along the cord of fidelity.