إِذا ما المَرءُ صِرتَ إِلى سُؤالِه

إِذا ما المَرءُ صِرتَ إِلى سُؤالِه

فَما تُعطيهِ أَكثَرَ مِن نَوالِه

فَما تُعطيهِ أَكثَرَ مِن نَوالِه

When you come to ask a man,

When a man's fate is determined

Then what you give him is greater than his gift to you.

You give him nothing more than what is allotted

وَمَن عَرَفَ المَحامِدَ جَدَّ فيها

وَمَن عَرَفَ المَحامِدَ جَدَّ فيها

وَحَنَّ إِلى المَحامِدِ بِاِحتِيالِه

وَحَنَّ إِلى المَحامِدِ بِاِحتِيالِه

Whoever knows praiseworthy deeds strives for them,

He who knows excellence strives for it

And yearns for praiseworthy deeds, using his resourcefulness,

And schemes to attain what is excellent

وَلَم يَستَغلِ مَحمَدَةً بِمالٍ

وَلَم يَستَغلِ مَحمَدَةً بِمالٍ

وَلَو أَضحَت تُحيطُ بِكُلِّ مالِه

وَلَو أَضحَت تُحيطُ بِكُلِّ مالِه

And deems no price too high for a praiseworthy deed,

And did not exploit a praiseworthy deed for money

Even if it were to consume all his wealth.

Even if it would encompass all his money

عِيالُ اللَهِ أَكرَمُهُم عَلَيهِ

عِيالُ اللَهِ أَكرَمُهُم عَلَيهِ

أَبَثُّهُمُ المَكارِمَ في عِيالِه

أَبَثُّهُمُ المَكارِمَ في عِيالِه

Of God's dependents, the dearest to Him

The most honorable of God's family

Is the one who spreads noble favors most among His dependents.

Are those who spread virtues among their family

أَتَدري مَن أَخوكَ أَخوكَ حَقّاً

أَتَدري مَن أَخوكَ أَخوكَ حَقّاً

أَخوكَ بِصَبرِهِ لَكَ وَاِحتِمالِه

أَخوكَ بِصَبرِهِ لَكَ وَاِحتِمالِه

Do you know who your brother is—your brother in truth?

Do you know who your true brother is?

Your brother is he who is patient with you and bears with you.

Your brother is he who is patient with you and tolerates you

أَخوكَ المُبتَغي لَكَ كُلَّ خَيرٍ

أَخوكَ المُبتَغي لَكَ كُلَّ خَيرٍ

وَصاحِبُكَ المُداوِمُ في وِصالِه

وَصاحِبُكَ المُداوِمُ في وِصالِه

Your brother is the one who seeks every good for you,

Your brother is he who seeks all good for you

And your companion who remains constant in his bond with you.

And your friend is he who persists in his loyalty

إِذا غَضِبَ الحَليمُ فَفِرَّ عَنهُ

إِذا غَضِبَ الحَليمُ فَفِرَّ عَنهُ

وَإِن غَضِبَ اللَئيمُ فَلا تُبالِه

وَإِن غَضِبَ اللَئيمُ فَلا تُبالِه

When the forbearing man grows angry, flee from him;

When the forbearing one gets angry, flee from him

But if the base man grows angry, pay him no heed.

And when the ignoble one gets angry, pay him no heed

وَلَم تَرَ مُثنِياً أَثنى عَلى ذي

وَلَم تَرَ مُثنِياً أَثنى عَلى ذي

فَعالٍ قَطُّ أَفصَحَ مِن فَعالِه

فَعالٍ قَطُّ أَفصَحَ مِن فَعالِه

And you have not seen a praiser extol a man of

You have never seen one who praises a man of action

Deeds, ever, more eloquently than his own deeds.

More eloquent than his actions

كَأَنَّ العَينَ لَم تَرَ ما تَقَضّى

كَأَنَّ العَينَ لَم تَرَ ما تَقَضّى

وَإِن بَقِيَ التَوَهُّمُ مِن خَيالِه

وَإِن بَقِيَ التَوَهُّمُ مِن خَيالِه

It is as though the eye had never seen what has passed,

It is as if the eye did not see what transpired

Though an impression of its image remains.

And yet imagination still conjures up his image

وَأَسرَعُ ما يَكونُ الشَيءُ نَقصاً

وَأَسرَعُ ما يَكونُ الشَيءُ نَقصاً

فَأَقرَبُ ما يَكونُ إِلى كَمالِه

فَأَقرَبُ ما يَكونُ إِلى كَمالِه

And a thing is quickest to decline

The fastest that something declines is when

When it is nearest to its perfection.

It is nearest to perfection