الناسُpeople أَخلاقُهُمtheir characters شَتّىvaried وَإِنand although جُبِلواthey were fashioned
الناسُ أَخلاقُهُم شَتّى وَإِن جُبِلوا
عَلىupon تَشابُهِsimilarity of أَرواحsouls وَأَجسادِand bodies
عَلى تَشابُهِ أَرواح وَأَجسادِ
People's characters differ, though they were fashioned
People's ethics are diverse, though their spirits and bodies are alike.
People differ in their natures, though they were molded
With similar souls and bodies.
For good and evil they were created, each guided by their soul's desires.
Upon a likeness of spirits and bodies.
لِلخَيرfor good وَالشَرِّand evil أهلٌpeople وُكِّلواwere entrusted بِهماwith both of them
لِلخَير وَالشَرِّ أهلٌ وُكِّلوا بِهما
كُلٌّeach لَهhe has مِنfrom دَواعيthe impulses of نفسهhis own soul هاديa guide
كُلٌّ لَه مِن دَواعي نفسه هادي
Good and evil have people entrusted with them;
Among them is a loyal friend of pure heart and discipline,
Good and evil have their people entrusted to them,
Each has a guide in his own soul's impulses.
on whom loyalty has pitched its tents with firm pegs.
And each has a guide from the impulses of his own soul.
منهمamong them خَليلُa close friend صَفاءٍpure affection ذوpossessing محافظةsteadfast loyalty
منهم خَليلُ صَفاءٍ ذو محافظة
أَرسىhas firmly anchored الوَفاءُloyalty أَواخيهِhis tethering loops بِأَوتادwith stakes
أَرسى الوَفاءُ أَواخيهِ بِأَوتاد
Among them is a friend of pure affection, steadfast in keeping faith;
And a treacherous villain, hunched with guile,
Among them is the pure friend, a keeper of trusts,
Loyalty has anchored his tethers with stakes.
his buried malice plain to see.
Whose bonds loyalty has anchored with firm pegs.
وَمشعرُand one clad in الغدرtreachery مَحنيٌّbent أُضالعهhis ribs
وَمشعرُ الغدر مَحنيٌّ أُضالعه
عَلىover سَريرةa hidden disposition غمرrancor غِلُّهاits spite باديplainly apparent
عَلى سَريرة غمر غِلُّها بادي
And one clad in treachery, his ribs bent
A quarrelsome hypocrite, full of mischief,
And the emblem of treachery, whose ribs are bent
Over a hidden grudge whose spite is plain.
shows purity yet delivers deadly blows.
Over a heart of deep rancor, its malice apparent.
مُشاكِسٌquarrelsome خَدِعٌdeceitful جمُّabundant غَوائِلُهhis treacheries
مُشاكِسٌ خَدِعٌ جمُّ غَوائِلُه
يُبديhe displays الصَفاءsincerity وَيُخفيand conceals ضربةa blow to الهاديthe neck
يُبدي الصَفاء وَيُخفي ضربة الهادي
Quarrelsome, deceitful, his treacheries are many;
He comes to you feigning goodwill but is bent
Quarrelsome and deceptive, his evils are many;
He displays sincerity and conceals a blow to the neck.
on corrupting good souls with his wickedness.
He feigns clearness of heart while hiding a fatal blow.
يأتيكhe comes to you بالبَغيwith wrongful aggression فيagainst أَهلِpeople of الصَفاءsincerity وَلاand does not
يأتيك بالبَغي في أَهلِ الصَفاء وَلا
يَنفَكُّcease يَسعىhe strives بإِصلاحthrough reconciliation لإفسادto cause discord
يَنفَكُّ يَسعى بإِصلاح لإفساد
He comes to you with hostility toward the sincere, and never
He brings you transgression among the people of purity,
Ceases striving, through reconciliation, to sow discord.
And ceases not to seek corruption through the pretense of reform.
Partial English translation: 10 of 12 Arabic lines translated.