حَفِطguarding اللِسانthe tongue عَنfrom القَبيحwhat is foul أَمانُsafety
حَفِط اللِسان عَن القَبيح أَمانُ
يَزكوflourishes بِهِthrough it الاسلامُIslam وَالإِيمانُand faith
يَزكو بِهِ الاسلامُ وَالإِيمانُ
Guarding the tongue from foul speech brings safety.
Through it Islam and faith flourish.
وَالصَمــــتُand silence عَمّاabout what لاnot
وَالصَمــــتُ عَمّا لا
بِوجودِهاthrough its presence يَتَحَمَّلُendures الانسانُthe human being
بِوجودِها يَتَحَمَّلُ الانسانُ
And silence about what does not...
Through its presence, a person endures.
وَحَياتُهُand his life مَحمودَةٌpraiseworthy بَينَamong الوَرىhumankind
وَحَياتُهُ مَحمودَةٌ بَينَ الوَرى
إِنif تَختَفلِفdiffer فيin شُكرِهِpraise of him الأَديانُreligions
إِن تَختَفلِف في شُكرِهِ الأَديانُ
And his life is praised among humankind,
even if religions differ in their praise of him.
وَإِذاand when جِناياتُthe offenses of الجَوارِحthe bodily members عُدِّدَتare counted
وَإِذا جِناياتُ الجَوارِح عُدِّدَت
فَأَشَدُّهاthen the gravest of them يَجنيcommits harm عَلَيكَagainst you لسانُa tongue
فَأَشَدُّها يَجني عَلَيكَ لسانُ
And when the offenses of the bodily members are counted,
the tongue commits the gravest of them against you.
حافِظاًkeeping watch لِفُصـــــولِهِover its divisions
حافِظاً لِفُصـــــولِهِ
فيهِthrough it يَخِفُّgrows light وَيَثقِلُand grows heavy الميزانُthe balance
فيهِ يَخِفُّ وَيَثقِلُ الميزانُ
Keeping watch over its divisions...
Through it the balance grows light and heavy.
وَاِجعَلand make لَكfor yourself التَقوىpiety عِناناًa rein مانِعاًrestraining
وَاِجعَل لَك التَقوى عِناناً مانِعاً
عَنagainst فَضلِexcess قولspeech مالَهthat has no...
عَن فَضلِ قول مالَه
And make piety a restraining rein for yourself,
against excess speech that has no...
قالقَولُfor speech فيهِin it جَواهِرٌjewels مَنظومَةٌstrung together
قالقَولُ فيهِ جَواهِرٌ مَنظومَةٌ
وَمعائِبٌand faults تَشقىsuffer بِهاbecause of them الآذانُthe ears
وَمعائِبٌ تَشقى بِها الآذانُ
For speech contains jewels strung together,
and faults that torment the ears.
وَلَرُبَّماand perhaps نُشرتare opened دَواوينthe registers of التُقىpiety
وَلَرُبَّما نُشرت دَواوين التُقى
بالحَشرِat the resurrection مالكَyou have no بَينَهاamong them ديوانُa register
بالحَشرِ مالكَ بَينَها ديوانُ
And perhaps the registers of piety will be opened
at the resurrection, with no register of yours among them.
مَهماwhatever تَقُلyou say فيabout الناسِpeople قالواthey say مِثلَهُits like
مَهما تَقُل في الناسِ قالوا مِثلَهُ
وَلَرُبَّماand perhaps زادواthey go further عَلَيكَagainst you وَمانواand lie
وَلَرُبَّما زادوا عَلَيكَ وَمانوا
Whatever you say about people, they say its like,
and perhaps they will go further against you and lie.
وَلَوeven if اِستَتَرتَyou concealed yourself بِثَلبهمin slandering them لَمnot يَلبَثواthey would tarry
وَلَو اِستَتَرتَ بِثَلبهم لَم يَلبَثوا
الّاexcept وَسرُّكَand your secret بينهمamong them اعلانُpublic knowledge
الّا وَسرُّكَ بينهم اعلانُ
Even if you slandered them in secret, they would not tarry
before your secret became public among them.
لاnot يَقصدونَthey seek الصَفحَforgiveness عَمّاfor what قُلتَهُyou said it
لا يَقصدونَ الصَفحَ عَمّا قُلتَهُ
فيهمabout them لشيطانِto the devil of الخَناfoul speech اِخوانُbrothers
فيهم لشيطانِ الخَنا اِخوانُ
They do not seek to forgive what you said
about them: they are brothers to the devil of foul speech.
وَالصَبرُand patience مَحمودُpraiseworthy المغَبِّin outcome وَإِنَّماand only
وَالصَبرُ مَحمودُ المغَبِّ وَإِنَّما
يَقوىis strong enough عَلىfor بَعضِsome الأَذىharm الأَعيانُthe eminent
يَقوى عَلى بَعضِ الأَذى الأَعيانُ
And patience has a praiseworthy outcome; only
the eminent can withstand a measure of harm.
مَنwhoever كَفَّrefrains كَفَّrefrain الناسُpeople عَنهُfrom him وَمَنand whoever أَبىrefuses
مَن كَفَّ كَفَّ الناسُ عَنهُ وَمَن أَبى
إِلّاexcept الخَناfoul speech فكماthen just as يَدينُhe treats others يُدانُhe is treated
إِلّا الخَنا فكما يَدينُ يُدانُ
Whoever refrains, people refrain from him; whoever refuses
anything but foul speech—as he treats others, so is he treated.
وَالحِلمُand forbearance يُطفىءextinguishes عَنكَaway from you كُلَّevery عَظيمَةgrave calamity
وَالحِلمُ يُطفىء عَنكَ كُلَّ عَظيمَة
كالماءِlike water لاnot تَبقىremain بِهِwith it النِيرانُthe fires
كالماءِ لا تَبقى بِهِ النِيرانُ
And forbearance extinguishes every grave calamity for you,
like water, with which no fires remain.
وَالغُشُّand deceit يُزريbrings disgrace بِالفَتىupon the young man وَلَوeven if أَنَّهُthat he
وَالغُشُّ يُزري بِالفَتى وَلَو أَنَّهُ
بالفَهمin understanding قسٌّQuss وَالصَلاحِand in righteousness بَيانُBayan
بالفَهم قسٌّ وَالصَلاحِ بَيانُ
And deceit disgraces a man, even if he is
Quss in understanding and Bayan in righteousness.
إِنif تَبغِyou seek عِزّاًhonor فيin اِجتِرائِكَyour boldness أَوّلاًat first
إِن تَبغِ عِزّاً في اِجتِرائِكَ أَوّلاً
فالنُكرُthen offensiveness فيin رَدِّreturning الجَوابِthe answer هَوانُhumiliation
فالنُكرُ في رَدِّ الجَوابِ هَوانُ
If you seek honor in your initial boldness,
then offensiveness in the answering reply is humiliation.
كُنbe كالطَبيبlike the physician رأىsaw الصَلاحَhealing بِلُطفِهِthrough his gentleness
كُن كالطَبيب رأى الصَلاحَ بِلُطفِهِ
أَوor كالزُلالِlike pure water نَجىwas saved بِهِby it الظَمآنُthe thirsty man
أَو كالزُلالِ نَجى بِهِ الظَمآنُ
Be like the physician who saw healing in his gentleness,
or like pure water by which the thirsty man was saved.
وَإِذاand if بَسطتَyou unleash لِسانَthe tongue of مَنone whom لَمnot يَنهِهِrestrain him
وَإِذا بَسطتَ لِسانَ مَن لَم يَنهِهِ
دينٌreligion فأَينَthen where العَقلُreason وَالعِرفانُand understanding
دينٌ فأَينَ العَقلُ وَالعِرفانُ
And if you unleash the tongue of one not restrained
by religion, where are reason and understanding?
لاdo not تَرضَbe content أَنto تَبقىremain عَلىin أُغلوطةan error
لا تَرضَ أَن تَبقى عَلى أُغلوطة
يَغشاكَengulfs you فيهاin it السُخطُwrath وَالشنآنand hatred
يَغشاكَ فيها السُخطُ وَالشنآن
Do not be content to persist in an error
in which wrath and hatred engulf you.
وَتَتَدارَكَand remedy الأَمرَthe matter الَّذيwhich قَدَّمتَهُyou sent it ahead
وَتَتَدارَكَ الأَمرَ الَّذي قَدَّمتَهُ
إِنَّindeed البَقاءَcontinuing بِمِثلِهِin its like جَذلانُjoyful
إِنَّ البَقاءَ بِمِثلِهِ جَذلانُ
And remedy the deed you have already done;
indeed, continuing in such a way is joyful.
لاno خَيرَgood فيمَنin one who عِرضُهhis honor مُتَعَرِّضٌexposed
لا خَيرَ فيمَن عِرضُه مُتَعَرِّضٌ
ماwhat لاnot يُسَرّis pleased بِسَمعِهِby hearing it الاخوانُthe brothers
ما لا يُسَرّ بِسَمعِهِ الاخوانُ
There is no good in one whose honor is exposed
to what his brethren take no pleasure in hearing.
شَرُthe worst المآكَلِof foods لَحمُthe flesh of مَنone whom تَغتابُهُyou backbite him
شَرُ المآكَلِ لَحمُ مَن تَغتابُهُ
وَالوَجهُand the face فيهِin it الزورُfalsehood وَالبُهتانُand slander
وَالوَجهُ فيهِ الزورُ وَالبُهتانُ
The worst of foods is the flesh of one you backbite,
and its face is falsehood and slander.
فَجَزاؤُكَso your recompense السُوءىevil عَنfor السُوءىevil وانand if
فَجَزاؤُكَ السُوءى عَن السُوءى وان
تَحسنyou do good فَإِنَّthen indeed جَزاءَكَyour recompense الاحسانُgoodness
تَحسن فَإِنَّ جَزاءَكَ الاحسانُ
Thus evil is your recompense for evil; and if
you do good, then your recompense is goodness.
إِنif لَمnot تُعدَّyou consider أَوانَthe time of تَوبتكَyour repentance الصِبىyouth
إِن لَم تُعدَّ أَوانَ تَوبتكَ الصِبى
فَمَشيبُthen the graying of رأَسِكَyour head للمتابfor repentance أَوانُa time
فَمَشيبُ رأَسِكَ للمتاب أَوانُ
If you did not deem youth the time for your repentance,
then the graying of your head is a time to repent.
أَوor كُنتَyou were قَدalready خَفَيتwere hidden عَلَيكfrom you عَواقِبٌconsequences
أَو كُنتَ قَد خَفَيت عَلَيك عَواقِبٌ
قَبلهاbefore them عُنـــــــوانُa sign
قَبلها عُنـــــــوانُ
Or if consequences have been hidden from you,
before them lies a sign.
وَإِذاand if تَعامىfeigns blindness الطَرفُthe eye عَنto شَمسِthe sun of الضُحىmidmorning
وَإِذا تَعامى الطَرفُ عَن شَمسِ الضُحى
فَبأيthen by what شَيءٍthing يَحصَلُis attained التِبيانُclarity
فَبأي شَيءٍ يَحصَلُ التِبيانُ
And if the eye feigns blindness to the midmorning sun,
then through what can clarity be attained?
كَمhow often قَدindeed بَداappeared لَكَto you فيin أُمورِكَyour affairs ظاهِراًplainly
كَم قَد بَدا لَكَ في أُمورِكَ ظاهِراً
وَجهُthe face of الهُدىguidance وَنَباyet turned away بِكَwith you الحِرمانdeprivation
وَجهُ الهُدى وَنَبا بِكَ الحِرمان
How often, in your affairs, has there plainly appeared to you
the face of guidance, yet deprivation turned you away.
وَلديكand before you فُقدانthe loss of الحَياةlife وَرِحلَةٌand a journey
وَلديك فُقدان الحَياة وَرِحلَةٌ
يَلقاكَwill meet you فيهاon it القَبرُthe grave وَالأَكفانُand the shrouds
يَلقاكَ فيها القَبرُ وَالأَكفانُ
And before you lie the loss of life and a journey
on which the grave and shrouds will meet you.
لاdo not تَغترِرbe deceived إِنif عَجَّلتis hastened لَكfor you مُهلَةٌa respite
لا تَغترِر إِن عَجَّلت لَك مُهلَةٌ
ماnot فيin الرَدىdeath خَدعٌdeception وَلاnor اِدهانindulgence
ما في الرَدى خَدعٌ وَلا اِدهان
Do not be deceived if you are swiftly granted a respite;
there is no deception in death, nor any indulgence.
Sol 6.1