لَعَمرُكَ ما أَدري وَإِنّي لأَوجَلُ

لَعَمرُكَ ما أَدري وَإِنّي لأَوجَلُ

عَلى أَيِّنا تَغدو المَنِيَةِ أَوَّلُ

عَلى أَيِّنا تَغدو المَنِيَةِ أَوَّلُ

By your life, I do not know, and I am indeed afraid,

By your life, I know not which of us

which of us death will visit first.

Death will take first, though I'm hesitant

وَإِنّي أَخوكَ الدائَمُ العَهدِ لَم أَحُلُ

وَإِنّي أَخوكَ الدائَمُ العَهدِ لَم أَحُلُ

إِن اِبزاكَ خَصمٌ أَو نَبابِكَ مَنزِلُ

إِن اِبزاكَ خَصمٌ أَو نَبابِكَ مَنزِلُ

And I am your brother, steadfast in my pledge, never wavering,

I'm your brother, true to my word, I've not

if a foe overpowers you or a dwelling proves inhospitable to you.

Betrayed, though some speak against where you dwell

أُحارِبُ مَن حارَبتَ مِن ذي عَداوَةٍ

أُحارِبُ مَن حارَبتَ مِن ذي عَداوَةٍ

وَأِحبِسُ مالي إِن غَرِمتَ فأَعقِلُ

وَأِحبِسُ مالي إِن غَرِمتَ فأَعقِلُ

I wage war on any enemy you wage war on,

I'll fight those you've fought, enemies of old

and set aside my wealth if you incur a liability, and pay the blood-money.

And pay your debts should you owe and rebel

وَإِن سُؤتَني يَوماً صَفَحتُ اِلى غَدٍ

وَإِن سُؤتَني يَوماً صَفَحتُ اِلى غَدٍ

لِيُعقِبَ يَومٌ مِنكَ آخِرُ مُقبِلُ

لِيُعقِبَ يَومٌ مِنكَ آخِرُ مُقبِلُ

And if you hurt me one day, I pardon until tomorrow,

If one day you wrong me, I'll let it pass

so that another day, yet to come from you, may take its place.

So another may come, good tidings to tell

كَأَنَّكَ تَشفي مِنكَ داءً مَساءَتي

كَأَنَّكَ تَشفي مِنكَ داءً مَساءَتي

وَسُخطي وَما في رَيبَتي ما تَعَجَّلُ

وَسُخطي وَما في رَيبَتي ما تَعَجَّلُ

As though hurting me cured you of a sickness,

It's as if you heal wounds of doubt I bear

and my anger too; yet suspecting me offers nothing worth your haste.

Easing my rage, impatience as well

لَحى اللَهُ مَن ساوى أَخاهُ بِعِرسِهِ

لَحى اللَهُ مَن ساوى أَخاهُ بِعِرسِهِ

وَخَدَّعَهُ حاشاكَ إِن كُنتَ تَفعَلُ

وَخَدَّعَهُ حاشاكَ إِن كُنتَ تَفعَلُ

May God curse whoever puts his brother on a par with his wife,

May God shame those who compare a brother

and deceives him—excepting you, should you do so.

To a wife, deceiving though you'd never

وَإِنّي عَلى أِشياءَ مِنكَ تريبُني

وَإِنّي عَلى أِشياءَ مِنكَ تريبُني

قَديماً لَذو صَفحٍ عَلى ذاكَ مُجمِلُ

قَديماً لَذو صَفحٍ عَلى ذاكَ مُجمِلُ

And despite things from you that make me suspicious,

Though you give me reason for doubt, I am

I have long been forgiving, gracious all the same.

One who forgives past wrongs, nothing to dwell

سَتَقطَعُ في الدُنيا إِذا ما قَطَعتَني

سَتَقطَعُ في الدُنيا إِذا ما قَطَعتَني

يَمينكَ فَاِنظُر أَيَّ كَفٍّ تَبَدَّلُ

يَمينكَ فَاِنظُر أَيَّ كَفٍّ تَبَدَّلُ

In this world, if you cut me off, you will sever

When parted in life, your hand will be severed

your right hand—so consider what hand you take in exchange.

See which palm is changed, which continues to swell

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تُنصِف أَخاكَ وَجَدتَهُ

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تُنصِف أَخاكَ وَجَدتَهُ

عَلى طَرَفِ الهِجرانِ إِن كانَ يَعقِلُ

عَلى طَرَفِ الهِجرانِ إِن كانَ يَعقِلُ

If you do not treat your brother fairly, you will find him

If you don't treat your brother with justice

on the brink of estrangement, if he has sense.

You'll find him estranged, if he is wise and well

وَيَركَبُ حَدَّ السَيفِ مِن أَن تَضيمَهُ

وَيَركَبُ حَدَّ السَيفِ مِن أَن تَضيمَهُ

إِذا لَم يَكُن عَن شَفرَةِ السَيفِ مَزحَلُ

إِذا لَم يَكُن عَن شَفرَةِ السَيفِ مَزحَلُ

And he will ride the sword's edge rather than let you wrong him,

He will take up the sword, rather than suffer

if there is no escape from the sword's blade.

Harm from its blade, if he knows how to repel

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما صاحِبي رامَ ظِنّتي

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما صاحِبي رامَ ظِنّتي

وَبَدَّلَ سُوءاً بِالَّذي كُنتُ أَفعَلُ

وَبَدَّلَ سُوءاً بِالَّذي كُنتُ أَفعَلُ

And whenever my companion sought to accuse me,

When my friend thought ill of me, and acted

and repaid what I did with ill-treatment,

Not as I had, I turned my back, to dispel

قَلَبتُ لَهُ ظَهرَ المِجَنِّ وَلَم أَدُم

قَلَبتُ لَهُ ظَهرَ المِجَنِّ وَلَم أَدُم

عَلى ذاكَ إِلّا رَيثَ ما أَتَحَوَّل

عَلى ذاكَ إِلّا رَيثَ ما أَتَحَوَّل

I turned the back of my shield toward him, and did not remain

Attachment. For time brings change, and men's hearts

so, except long enough to move away.

Stray from old homes. Don't rage, all will be well

وَفي الناسِ إِن رَثَّت حِبالُكَ واصِلٌ

وَفي الناسِ إِن رَثَّت حِبالُكَ واصِلٌ

وَفي الأَرضِ عَن دارِ القِلى مُتَحَوَّلُ

وَفي الأَرضِ عَن دارِ القِلى مُتَحَوَّلُ

And among people, if your cords fray, there is someone to join you,

A camel lent may return lame, another

and on earth a place to move to, away from hatred's abode.

Take its place. Such is the way of life's tells

فَلا تَغضَبنَ قَد تُستَعارُ ظَعينَةٌ

فَلا تَغضَبنَ قَد تُستَعارُ ظَعينَةٌ

وَتُرسِلُ أُخرى كُلَ ذَلِكَ يَفعَلُ

وَتُرسِلُ أُخرى كُلَ ذَلِكَ يَفعَلُ

So do not be angry: a riding-camel may be borrowed,

When my soul abandons a thing, it will not

and you send another away; all this is done.

Turn back again, though time cycles and swells

إِذا اِنصَرَفَت نَفسي عَن الشَيءِ لَم تَكَد

إِذا اِنصَرَفَت نَفسي عَن الشَيءِ لَم تَكَد

عَلَيهِ بِوَجهٍ آخِرَ الدَهرِ تُقبِلُ

عَلَيهِ بِوَجهٍ آخِرَ الدَهرِ تُقبِلُ

When my soul turns away from something, it scarcely ever

turns toward it again in any way, till the end of time.