أجلُّكَ أَنْ يُلِمَّ بِكَ الْعِتَابُ

أجلُّكَ أَنْ يُلِمَّ بِكَ الْعِتَابُ

وَوُدَّكَ لاَ يُدَاخِلُهُ ارْتِيَابُ

وَوُدَّكَ لاَ يُدَاخِلُهُ ارْتِيَابُ

I esteem you too highly for reproach to touch you;

I wish reproach would leave you be,

And no doubt intrudes upon your affection.

and doubt never taint your affection.

وَأسْتَعْدِي عُلاَكَ عَلَى اخْتِصَارٍ

وَأسْتَعْدِي عُلاَكَ عَلَى اخْتِصَارٍ

إِذَا مَا عَادَ لِي مِنْكَ الْجَوَابُ

إِذَا مَا عَادَ لِي مِنْكَ الْجَوَابُ

And I appeal to your eminence against brevity

Spare me your long reply -

Whenever a reply from you comes back to me.

just a brief response when you can.

وَلْلإِنْصَافِ قُسْطَاسٌ قَوِيمٌ

وَلْلإِنْصَافِ قُسْطَاسٌ قَوِيمٌ

يَبِينُ بِهِ مِنَ الْخَطَأَ الصَّوَابُ

يَبِينُ بِهِ مِنَ الْخَطَأَ الصَّوَابُ

And fairness has a true balance,

Let there be impartial scales

By which right is distinguished from error.

to show what’s right and what is wrong.

أَيُطنِبُ فِي مَعَانِيهَا الْمَعَالِي

أَيُطنِبُ فِي مَعَانِيهَا الْمَعَالِي

بِرَبْعِكُمُ وَيُخْتَصَرُ الْكِتَابُ

بِرَبْعِكُمُ وَيُخْتَصَرُ الْكِتَابُ

Do lofty virtues elaborate at length on their meanings

Will it ramble meaninglessly

At your abode, while the letter is abridged?

like a quartet, or be concise?

وَمَنْ يُعْطي الْجَزِيلَ بِلاَ حِسَابٍ

وَمَنْ يُعْطي الْجَزِيلَ بِلاَ حِسَابٍ

يَكُونُ لَهُ عَلَى لَفْظٍ حِسَابُ

يَكُونُ لَهُ عَلَى لَفْظٍ حِسَابُ

And does one who gives lavishly without reckoning

He who gives generously, no count,

Keep a reckoning over a word?

will be counted by each word.