بَلَوتُ أَخِلّاءَ هَذا الزَمانِ

بَلَوتُ أَخِلّاءَ هَذا الزَمانِ

فَأَقلَلتُ بِالهَجرِ مِنهُم نَصيبي

فَأَقلَلتُ بِالهَجرِ مِنهُم نَصيبي

I tested the close friends of this age;

I have tested the untrue friends of this time,

so, by shunning them, I reduced my share of their company.

So I have lessened my share of them through estrangement.

وَكُلُّهُمُ إِن تَصَفَّحتُهُم

وَكُلُّهُمُ إِن تَصَفَّحتُهُم

صَديقُ العَيانِ عَدُوُّ المَغيبِ

صَديقُ العَيانِ عَدُوُّ المَغيبِ

And all of them, if I examine them,

And all of them, if you look closely,

are friends in my presence, enemies in my absence.

Are friends when present, enemies when absent.