إذا ما أخي يوماً تولّى بِوُدِّه

إذا ما أخي يوماً تولّى بِوُدِّه

وأنكرت منه بعض ما كنت أعرُفُ

وأنكرت منه بعض ما كنت أعرُفُ

If one day my brother withdraws his affection,

If my brother one day turns away in his affection,

and I find unfamiliar in him some of what I once knew,

And denies some of what I was accustomed to know,

عطفتُ عليه بالمودة أنني

عطفتُ عليه بالمودة أنني

على مُدبر الإخوان بالبر أعطفُ

على مُدبر الإخوان بالبر أعطفُ

I turn toward him with affection, for I

I turn to him with kindness, for I

turn with kindness toward a brother who turns away.

Toward the one who turns from brotherhood, am kind.

ولست وإن ولّى بُود على الذي

ولست وإن ولّى بُود على الذي

بذلتُ له من صفو ودي آسفُ

بذلتُ له من صفو ودي آسفُ

And though he withdraws his affection, I do not regret what

And though he may turn his affection away, I do not

I bestowed on him of my pure love.

Regret the sincerity and affection I gave him.

فأغفر منه ذنبه لإصطناعه

فأغفر منه ذنبه لإصطناعه

وأستر منه بعض ما يتكشفُ

وأستر منه بعض ما يتكشفُ

So I forgive his fault to cultivate his friendship,

So I forgive his wrong out of our companionship,

and conceal some of what comes to light about him.

And conceal some of what has been revealed.

فإغضاؤك العينين عن عيب صاحبٍ

فإغضاؤك العينين عن عيب صاحبٍ

لعمرك أبقى للإخاء وأشرفُ

لعمرك أبقى للإخاء وأشرفُ

For closing both your eyes to a friend's fault

For your overlooking a friend's fault, by your life,

better preserves brotherhood, by your life, and is nobler.

Is what best preserves brotherhood and nobility.