مَنwho دَلَّنِيguided me اليومَtoday علىto صاحبٍa friend
مَن دَلَّنِي اليومَ على صاحبٍ
لمnot يُقذَbe irritated فيin شيءٍanything لهof his طَرْفيmy eye
لم يُقذَ في شيءٍ له طَرْفي
Who will guide me today to a friend
in whom nothing has offended my eye?
إِذاwhenever طلبتُI seek النَّصْفَfairness منfrom غيرهanyone other than him
إِذا طلبتُ النَّصْفَ من غيره
لمnot ألْفِI find مَنanyone who جاءacted علىin accordance with النَّصْفِfairness
لم ألْفِ مَن جاء على النَّصْفِ
Whenever I seek fairness from anyone but him,
I find no one who deals fairly.
ماnot عاجhe turned aside فيin وعدٍa promise ولاnor موعدٍan appointment
ما عاج في وعدٍ ولا موعدٍ
قطّever بتسويفٍwith procrastination ولاnor خُلْفِbroken faith
قطّ بتسويفٍ ولا خُلْفِ
Never, in promise or appointment, has he turned
to procrastination or broken faith.
كأنّماas though صِيغَhe was fashioned لبذلِfor granting المُنىwishes
كأنّما صِيغَ لبذلِ المُنى
أوor طُبِعَتْwere molded كفّاهhis two palms للعُرفِfor generosity
أو طُبِعَتْ كفّاه للعُرفِ
As though he were fashioned to grant wishes,
or his two palms were molded for generosity.