وَلاand do not تُعطِgive وُدَّكَyour affection غَيرَother than الثِقاتِthe trustworthy
وَلا تُعطِ وُدَّكَ غَيرَ الثِقاتِ
وَصَفوِand the purity of المَوَدَّةِlove إِلّاexcept لَبيباa wise person
وَصَفوِ المَوَدَّةِ إِلّا لَبيبا
Give your affection to none but the trustworthy,
And give your affection to none but the trustworthy,
Nor affection’s purest part to any but one discerning.
and the purest of your love only to the wise.
إِذاif ماan emphatic particle الفَتىthe young man كانَis ذاpossessed of مُسكَةٍsound judgment
إِذا ما الفَتى كانَ ذا مُسكَةٍ
فَإِنَّthen indeed لِحالَيهِfor his two states مِنهُfrom himself طَبيباa physician
فَإِنَّ لِحالَيهِ مِنهُ طَبيبا
If a young man possesses sound judgment,
If a young man possesses sound judgment,
Then within him is a physician for both his states.
then he is his own physician in both his states.
فَبَعضَso some of المَوَدَّةِaffection عِندَin الاِخاءِbrotherly friendship
فَبَعضَ المَوَدَّةِ عِندَ الاِخاءِ
وَبَعضَand some of العَداوَةِenmity كَيso that تَستَنيباyou may turn back
وَبَعضَ العَداوَةِ كَي تَستَنيبا
Keep some affection in reserve amid brotherhood,
So give affection in measure in friendship,
And some enmity, so the two may take each other’s place.
and enmity in measure, so that you may turn back.
فَاِنَّfor indeed المُحِبَّthe one who loves يَكونُbecomes البَغيضَthe hated one
فَاِنَّ المُحِبَّ يَكونُ البَغيضَ
وَإِنَّand indeed البَغيضَthe hated one يَكونُbecomes الحَبيباthe beloved one
وَإِنَّ البَغيضَ يَكونُ الحَبيبا
For the loving one may become the hated,
For the one who loves may become the hated one,
And the hated one may become the beloved.
and the hated one may become the beloved.
