أَخٌ لِيَ مَستورُ الطِباعِ جَعَلتَهُ

أَخٌ لِيَ مَستورُ الطِباعِ جَعَلتَهُ

مَكانَ الرِضى حَتّى اِستَقَلَّ بِهِ الوُدُّ

مَكانَ الرِضى حَتّى اِستَقَلَّ بِهِ الوُدُّ

A brother of mine, his nature concealed—you placed him

A brother of mine, of hidden nature, you have made

In a place of favor, until affection bore him aloft.

Him, in place of contentment, until intimacy was established with him

وَتَحتَ الرِضى لَو أَن تَكونَ خَبَرتَهُ

وَتَحتَ الرِضى لَو أَن تَكونَ خَبَرتَهُ

وَدائِعُ لا يَرضى بِها الهَزلُ وَالجَدُّ

وَدائِعُ لا يَرضى بِها الهَزلُ وَالجَدُّ

And beneath that favor, had you come to know him,

And beneath contentment, if you were to know him

Lie stores that neither jest nor earnestness accepts.

There are secrets that neither jest nor earnestness would accept

لَعَمرِيَ لَيسَت صَفَقَةُ المَرءِ تَنطَوي

لَعَمرِيَ لَيسَت صَفَقَةُ المَرءِ تَنطَوي

عَلى ذَمِّ شَيءٍ كانَ أَوَّلَهُ حَمدُ

عَلى ذَمِّ شَيءٍ كانَ أَوَّلَهُ حَمدُ

By my life, a man's bargain does not entail

By my life, the dealing of a man does not contain

Censure of something whose beginning was praise.

Blame for something, whether its beginning was praise

فَأَعطِ الرِضى كُلَّ الرِضى مَن خَبَرتَهُ

فَأَعطِ الرِضى كُلَّ الرِضى مَن خَبَرتَهُ

وَقِف بِالرِضى عَنهُ إِذا لَم يَكُن بُدُّ

وَقِف بِالرِضى عَنهُ إِذا لَم يَكُن بُدُّ

So grant favor—all your favor—to one you have tested,

So give complete contentment to whoever you know

And withhold your favor from him if there is no alternative.

And desist from blaming him, if there is no alternative