أَمّا العُداةُ فَقَد أَرَوكَ نُفوسَهُم

أَمّا العُداةُ فَقَد أَرَوكَ نُفوسَهُم

فَاقصِد بِسوءِ ظُنونِكَ الإِخوانا

فَاقصِد بِسوءِ ظُنونِكَ الإِخوانا

As for the enemies, they have shown you their true selves;

The enemies have revealed their souls to you,

So direct your ill suspicions toward your brothers.

So direct your ill suspicions towards the brethren.

تَنحاشُ نَفسي أَن أَذِلَّ مَقادَةً

تَنحاشُ نَفسي أَن أَذِلَّ مَقادَةً

وَيَزيدُ شَغبي أَن أَلينَ عِنانا

وَيَزيدُ شَغبي أَن أَلينَ عِنانا

My soul recoils from being meekly led,

My soul abhors that I should humiliate one brought low,

And yielding to the rein heightens my defiance.

Or that my unruliness should slacken the rein.

وَأَخِفُّ عَن كَتِفِ الصَديقِ نَزاهَةً

وَأَخِفُّ عَن كَتِفِ الصَديقِ نَزاهَةً

مِن قَبلِ أَن يَتَلَوَّنَ الأَلوانا

مِن قَبلِ أَن يَتَلَوَّنَ الأَلوانا

And I spare a friend's shoulder my weight, out of self-respect,

And I conceal from a friend's shoulder purity

Before he changes from color to color.

Lest colours become confused on him.

وَأَخٍ أَرابَ فَلَم أَجِد في أَمرِهِ

وَأَخٍ أَرابَ فَلَم أَجِد في أَمرِهِ

إِلّا التَماسُكَ عَنهُ وَالهِجرانا

إِلّا التَماسُكَ عَنهُ وَالهِجرانا

And a brother aroused my doubts; I found no course with him

A brother went astray, but in his affair

But to keep aloof from him and shun him.

I found naught but to eschew and shun him.

أَغبَبتُهُ أَن أَستَميحَ لَهُ يَداً

أَغبَبتُهُ أَن أَستَميحَ لَهُ يَداً

أَو أَن أُعَنِّيَ فِيَّ مِنهُ لِسانا

أَو أَن أُعَنِّيَ فِيَّ مِنهُ لِسانا

I visited him seldom, lest I seek a favor from his hand,

I was loath to ask him for a forgiving hand,

Or weary his tongue on my account.

Or to employ my tongue to aid him.

وَأَراهُ لَمّا لَم أُطالِب نَفعَهُ

وَأَراهُ لَمّا لَم أُطالِب نَفعَهُ

أَنشا يَضُرُّ تَغَيُّباً وَعِيانا

أَنشا يَضُرُّ تَغَيُّباً وَعِيانا

And I see that, when I sought no help from him,

And when I did not seek his advantage,

He began to harm me, in secret and in plain sight.

He was hurt whether absent or present.

ماكانَ مِن أَمَلٍ وَمِنكَ فَقَد أَتى

ماكانَ مِن أَمَلٍ وَمِنكَ فَقَد أَتى

يَسري إِلَيَّ مُبَيِّناً تِبيانا

يَسري إِلَيَّ مُبَيِّناً تِبيانا

Whatever passed between Amal and you has come

No hope remained from you, but it has come

Stealing toward me, making itself quite plain.

To gladden me, making clear explanation.

لَو كانَ ما أَدّى إِلَيكَ سِرارُها

لَو كانَ ما أَدّى إِلَيكَ سِرارُها

خَيراً لَكانَ حَديثُها إِعلانا

خَيراً لَكانَ حَديثُها إِعلانا

Had what her whispers conveyed to you

If that to which her secrets led you

Been good, her talk would have been public.

Were good, her talk would have been public.

إِن كانَ ذاكَ لِعُزبَةِ البَعثِ الَّذي

إِن كانَ ذاكَ لِعُزبَةِ البَعثِ الَّذي

جُمِّرتَ فيهِ فَدونَكَ الصِبيانا

جُمِّرتَ فيهِ فَدونَكَ الصِبيانا

If that was due to celibacy on the campaign in which

If that was due to your bachelorhood

You were kept on long service, then take the boys.

In which you were smeared with mud,

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ تُهمَتي لَكَ بَعدَما

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ تُهمَتي لَكَ بَعدَما

كُنتَ الصَفِيَّ لَدَيَّ وَالخُلصانا

كُنتَ الصَفِيَّ لَدَيَّ وَالخُلصانا

And it is strange that I suspect you, after

And from wonders is my suspicion of you

You were my chosen friend and trusted intimate,

After you had been the pure one to me.

وَتَوَقُّعي مِنكَ الإِساءَةَ جاهِداً

وَتَوَقُّعي مِنكَ الإِساءَةَ جاهِداً

وَالعَدلُ أَن أَتَوَقَّعَ الإِحسانا

وَالعَدلُ أَن أَتَوَقَّعَ الإِحسانا

And strain to expect ill-treatment from you,

And my expecting evil from you with effort

When fairness calls for me to expect kindness.

When it is just that I should expect kindness.

وَكَما يَسُرُّكَ لينُ مَسّي راضِياً

وَكَما يَسُرُّكَ لينُ مَسّي راضِياً

فَكَذاكَ فَاخشَ خِشونَتي غَضبانا

فَكَذاكَ فَاخشَ خِشونَتي غَضبانا

And as the softness of my touch delights you when I am pleased,

And just as it gladdens you if my touch is soft, pleased,

So too fear my roughness when I am angry.

Likewise fear my roughness when angry.