أخاكَ أخاكَ فهو أجَلُّ ذُخْرٍ

أخاكَ أخاكَ فهو أجَلُّ ذُخْرٍ

إِذا نابَتْكَ نائبةُ الزمانِ

إِذا نابَتْكَ نائبةُ الزمانِ

Hold fast to your brother—your brother—for he is the greatest treasure

Your brother, your brother, he is the most precious treasure,

When a calamity of time befalls you.

When the vicissitudes of time afflict you,

وإن رابتْ إساءتُه فَهبْهَا

وإن رابتْ إساءتُه فَهبْهَا

لما فيه من الشِّيَمِ الحِسَانِ

لما فيه من الشِّيَمِ الحِسَانِ

And if his wrongdoing troubles you, forgive it

And if his wrongdoing disturbs you, forgive him

For the good qualities he possesses.

For the nobility and kindness that is in him,

تُريدُ مهذَّباً لا عَيْبَ فيهِ

تُريدُ مهذَّباً لا عَيْبَ فيهِ

وهل عُودٌ يفوحُ بلا دُخَانِ

وهل عُودٌ يفوحُ بلا دُخَانِ

You seek a refined man with no fault in him—

You want one who is refined with no defects,

And does agarwood give off fragrance without smoke?

But what wood gives off fragrance without first being burnt?