وَكَم مِن أَخٍ لَو حَرَّمَ الماء لَم أَكُن

وَكَم مِن أَخٍ لَو حَرَّمَ الماء لَم أَكُن

لَهُ وَلَو أَنّي مُتَّ ظَمآن شارِبا

لَهُ وَلَو أَنّي مُتَّ ظَمآن شارِبا

And many a brother—if he forbade water, I would not

How many a brother, had he denied me water, I would not have been

drink it, even if I were to die thirsty.

For him, even if I were utterly parched and thirsty.

فَظَنَّ بِهَذا وِدَّهُ لي تَطَوعَاً

فَظَنَّ بِهَذا وِدَّهُ لي تَطَوعَاً

وَودّي لَهُ فَرضاً عَليَّ وَواجِبا

وَودّي لَهُ فَرضاً عَليَّ وَواجِبا

So he deemed, because of this, his love for me voluntary,

So he fancied hereby that his love for me was voluntary,

and my love for him a duty upon me, an obligation.

While my love for him was a duty binding upon me.

فاعتَقَني ذا الظن مِن سوءِ مُلكِهِ

فاعتَقَني ذا الظن مِن سوءِ مُلكِهِ

وَكُنتُ لَهُ عَبداً فَأَصبَحتُ صاحِبا

وَكُنتُ لَهُ عَبداً فَأَصبَحتُ صاحِبا

So this belief freed me from his harsh dominion,

This fancy released me from his tyranny

and I, once his slave, became his companion.

And though I was his slave, I became his companion.

وَمَن ظَنَّ ألّا بُدَّ مِنهُ أَرَيتَهُ

وَمَن ظَنَّ ألّا بُدَّ مِنهُ أَرَيتَهُ

بِصَبري عَنهُ ذَلِكَ الظَنُّ كاذِبا

بِصَبري عَنهُ ذَلِكَ الظَنُّ كاذِبا

And whoever thought himself indispensable, I showed him

And he who fancies that I cannot do without him shall see,

by patiently doing without him, that such a belief was false.

By my patience without him, that that fancy is false.

أَبيحَ لِخلّي مِن فُؤادي جانِباً

أَبيحَ لِخلّي مِن فُؤادي جانِباً

وَأَترُك لِلهُجرانِ إِن كانَ جانِبا

وَأَترُك لِلهُجرانِ إِن كانَ جانِبا

I grant my close friend a portion of my heart,

I allow an aspect of my heart to be a resort for my friend

and reserve a portion for estrangement, should it come.

And I leave a side for estrangement, if it keeps a side.

عَلى أَنَّني أَلقاهُ بِالبِشرِ حاضِراً

عَلى أَنَّني أَلقاهُ بِالبِشرِ حاضِراً

وَأَحفظه بِالغَيبِ إِن كانَ غائِباً

وَأَحفظه بِالغَيبِ إِن كانَ غائِباً

Yet I meet him cheerfully when he is present,

So that I meet him with a cheerful countenance when he is present

and safeguard him in his absence, should he be away.

And I keep him in absence, if he is absent.

وَتِلكَ سَجايا لي أَعَمُّ بِها الوَرى

وَتِلكَ سَجايا لي أَعَمُّ بِها الوَرى

وَأَشرُك فيهن العِدى وَالأَقارِبا

وَأَشرُك فيهن العِدى وَالأَقارِبا

And these are traits of mine that I extend to all humankind,

Such are my qualities which I make all mankind aware of,

and in them I include enemies and kin alike.

And in which I make foe and friend sharers.