Friendship and Love

This is a poem from the great Muslim scholar Imam Shafi'i (766-820). Wise and true words..

إذا المرء لا يرعاك إلا تكلفا * فدعه ولا تكثر عليه التأسفا

If their caring for you is conditional,

Leave them and do not lament their friendship

ففي الناس إبدال وفي الترك راحة * وفي القلب صبر للحبيب ولو جفا 

Friends can be replaced and with abandonment comes comfort,

And in the heart there is patience for the cruel beloved

فما كل من تهواه يهواك قلبه * ولا كل من صافيته لك قد صفا 

Not all whom you desire have passion for you in their heart,

Nor all whom you have trusted are as sincere

إذا لم يكن صفو الوداد طبيعة * فلا خير في ود يجئ تكلفا 

If purity of heart is not in their nature,

Then there is no good in intimacy that comes forced

ولا خير في خل يخون خليله * ويلقاه من بعد المودة بالجفا 

And there is no good in a lover/friend who deceives his loved one

And after the love he meets him with cruelty

وينكر عيشا قد تقادم عهده * ويظهر سرا كان بالامس قد خفا 

Who denies a living whose time has ended 

And he reveals a secret that was once hidden

سلام على الدنيا إذا لم يكن بها * صديق صدوق صادق الوعد منصفا 

Say goodbye to the world, if in it there was no

 faithful friend, who’s honest in his promises, and who shows equality

صن النفس واحملها على ما يزينها * تعش سالما والقول فيك جميل 

Uphold the soul, and carry it on what beautifies it

And you’ll live in peace, and the talk about you would be good

ولا تولين الناس الا تجملا * نبا بك دهر او جفاك خليل 

And don’t talk about people unless in good words

No matter how time is cruel to you, or how cold a friend acts towards you

وان ضاق رزق اليوم فاصبر الى غد* عسى نكبات الدهر عنك تزول 

And if today’s sustenance was tight, wait till tomorrow

Hopefully the catastrophes of time will go away from you

ولا خير في ود امرئ متلون * إذا الريح مالت ، مال حيث تميل 

And there is no good in the love of a colorful person

When the wind blows, he sways as the winds do

وما أكثر الإخوان حين تعدهم * ولكنهم في النائبات قليل 

And oh! how many brothers there are once you count them

But in the hard times you find very little of them

احب الصالحين ولست منهم * لعلي ان انال بهم شفاعه 

I like good people, but I’m not one of them

Maybe from them i might gain some intercession

واكره من تجارته المعاصي * ولو كنا سواء في البضاعه 

And I hate who’s trade is in sins

Even if we were equal in merchandise

تموت الأسد في الغابات جوعا * ولحم الضأن تأكله الكلاب 

Lions die from hunger in forests

And the meat of veal is eaten by dogs

وعبد قد ينام على حرير * وذو نسب مفارشــه التـــراب

And a slave might sleep on silk

When soil is the bed of the noble man 

Source: http://www.allthelyrics.com