وَصَاحِبٍ رَعَيْتُ دَهْرَاً وُدَّهُ

وَصَاحِبٍ رَعَيْتُ دَهْرَاً وُدَّهُ

وَلَمْ أُبَايِنْ نَهْجَهُ وَقَصْدَهُ

وَلَمْ أُبَايِنْ نَهْجَهُ وَقَصْدَهُ

And there was a friend whose affection I cherished for years,

A friend I grazed for years, loving him

And I never diverged from his path or purpose.

Never opposing his ways and aims

وَكُنْتُ أَرْعَى بِالْمَغِيبِ عَهْدَهُ

وَكُنْتُ أَرْعَى بِالْمَغِيبِ عَهْدَهُ

بَلْ كُنْتُ أَخْشَى أَنْ أَعِيشَ بَعْدَهُ

بَلْ كُنْتُ أَخْشَى أَنْ أَعِيشَ بَعْدَهُ

And I kept faith with him in his absence;

I would tend to his covenant when gone

Indeed, I feared that I might outlive him.

Rather, I feared that I'd live beyond him

وَطَالَما أَرْغَمْتُ فِيهِ ضِدَّهُ

وَطَالَما أَرْغَمْتُ فِيهِ ضِدَّهُ

وَذُدْتُ عَنْهُ مَا يَعُوقُ وَكْدَهُ

وَذُدْتُ عَنْهُ مَا يَعُوقُ وَكْدَهُ

And often I humbled his adversary for his sake,

Often I'd force his foe to relent

And drove from him whatever hindered his purpose.

And protect him from schemes that would end him

حَتَّى إِذَا مَا الدَّهْرُ أَوْرى زَنْدهُ

حَتَّى إِذَا مَا الدَّهْرُ أَوْرى زَنْدهُ

صَعَّرَ لِي بَعْدَ الصَّفَاءِ خَدَّهُ

صَعَّرَ لِي بَعْدَ الصَّفَاءِ خَدَّهُ

Until, when fortune drew fire from his firestick,

Till time made its blade bare and did rend

He turned his cheek from me in scorn, after our former amity,

After joy, for me his face it would bend

وَجَازَ فِي بَعْضِ الأُمُورِ حَدَّهُ

وَجَازَ فِي بَعْضِ الأُمُورِ حَدَّهُ

فَلَمْ أُحَاوِلْ رَدْعَهُ وَرَدَّهُ

فَلَمْ أُحَاوِلْ رَدْعَهُ وَرَدَّهُ

And overstepped his bounds in certain matters.

And he'd overstep in some matters his end

Yet I did not try to restrain him or turn him back,

Yet I didn't restrain him or contend

وَلَمْ أُكَدِّرْ بِالْعِتَابِ وِرْدَهُ

وَلَمْ أُكَدِّرْ بِالْعِتَابِ وِرْدَهُ

وَلَوْ أَرَدْتُ أَن أَفُلَّ حَدَّهُ

وَلَوْ أَرَدْتُ أَن أَفُلَّ حَدَّهُ

Nor did I muddy his drinking water with reproach.

Or bitter his joy with reproof I would send

And had I wished to blunt his edge,

And if I had wanted his limit to rend

لَقُلْتُ فِيهِ مَا يَحُزُّ جِلْدَهُ

لَقُلْتُ فِيهِ مَا يَحُزُّ جِلْدَهُ

لَكِنَّنِي تَرَكْتُهُ وَحِقْدَهُ

لَكِنَّنِي تَرَكْتُهُ وَحِقْدَهُ

I would have said of him what would cut into his skin.

I'd have said what would split his skin open

But I left him alone with his rancor,

But I left him, and left to him his hate

شَأْنُ امْرِئٍ فِي الْمَجْدِ يَرْعَى مَجْدَهُ

شَأْنُ امْرِئٍ فِي الْمَجْدِ يَرْعَى مَجْدَهُ

كُلُّ امْرِئٍ يُنْفِقُ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُ

كُلُّ امْرِئٍ يُنْفِقُ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُ

As befits a man of honor who safeguards his honor.

A man of glory tends to the glory he's given

Every man spends from what he has,

All men spend from what they're holding

والْمَرْءُ مَجْزِيٌّ بِمَا أَعَدَّهُ

والْمَرْءُ مَجْزِيٌّ بِمَا أَعَدَّهُ

And a man is recompensed for what he has prepared.

And man is rewarded by what he has striven