وَلا تُعطِ وُدَّكَ غَيرَ الثِقاتِ

وَلا تُعطِ وُدَّكَ غَيرَ الثِقاتِ

وَصَفوِ المَوَدَّةِ إِلّا لَبيبا

وَصَفوِ المَوَدَّةِ إِلّا لَبيبا

And give your affection to none but the trustworthy,

Do not give your affection except to the trustworthy

and love’s purest essence to none but a discerning man.

Nor the chalice of friendship save to the judicious

إِذا ما الفَتى كانَ ذا مُسكَةٍ

إِذا ما الفَتى كانَ ذا مُسكَةٍ

فَإِنَّ لِحالَيهِ مِنهُ طَبيبا

فَإِنَّ لِحالَيهِ مِنهُ طَبيبا

If a young man possesses sound judgment,

If a young man be endowed with dignity

then within himself he has a physician for both his states.

His bosom friends take him as their physician

فَبَعضَ المَوَدَّةِ عِندَ الاِخاءِ

فَبَعضَ المَوَدَّةِ عِندَ الاِخاءِ

وَبَعضَ العَداوَةِ كَي تَستَنيبا

وَبَعضَ العَداوَةِ كَي تَستَنيبا

So give only some affection in friendship,

A portion of affection is essentially fraternity

and only some enmity, so that you may turn back.

And a portion of enmity that you may reprove

فَاِنَّ المُحِبَّ يَكونُ البَغيضَ

فَاِنَّ المُحِبَّ يَكونُ البَغيضَ

وَإِنَّ البَغيضَ يَكونُ الحَبيبا

وَإِنَّ البَغيضَ يَكونُ الحَبيبا

For the loving one may become the hated one,

Verily, he who loves becomes the hated one

and the hated one may become the beloved.

And verily, the hated one becomes the beloved