الهِرصُ داءٌ قَد أَضَرَّبِمَن

الهِرصُ داءٌ قَد أَضَرَّبِمَن

تَرى إِلّا قَليلا

تَرى إِلّا قَليلا

Greed is a disease that has harmed those

Greed is an affliction that has spread

you see, save for a few.

You see few unaffected

كَم مِن عَزيزٍ قَد رَأَي

كَم مِن عَزيزٍ قَد رَأَي

تُ الحِرصَ صَيَّرهُ ذَليلا

تُ الحِرصَ صَيَّرهُ ذَليلا

How many an honored man have I seen

How many noble men has greed

whom greed has brought low!

Made lowly and abased

فَتَجَنَّبِ الشَهَواتِ وَاِح

فَتَجَنَّبِ الشَهَواتِ وَاِح

ذَر أَن تَكونَ لَها قَتيلا

ذَر أَن تَكونَ لَها قَتيلا

So shun desires, and beware

So avoid desires and beware

lest you be slain by them.

Lest you become its victim

فَلَرُبَّ شَهوَةِ ساعَةٍ

فَلَرُبَّ شَهوَةِ ساعَةٍ

قَدأَورَثَت حُزناً طَويلا

قَدأَورَثَت حُزناً طَويلا

For many an hour's desire

For many a fleeting desire

has bequeathed long-lasting sorrow.

Has brought prolonged sorrow

مَن لَم يَكُن لَكَ مُنصِفاً

مَن لَم يَكُن لَكَ مُنصِفاً

في الوُدِّ فَاِبغِ بِهِ بَديلا

في الوُدِّ فَاِبغِ بِهِ بَديلا

Whoever is not fair to you

Whoever was not just to you

in friendship—seek another in his stead.

In affection, replace them

وَتَوَقَّ جَهدَكَ أَن تَكو

وَتَوَقَّ جَهدَكَ أَن تَكو

نَ لِكُلِّ ذي سُخفٍ دَخيلا

نَ لِكُلِّ ذي سُخفٍ دَخيلا

And do your utmost to avoid becoming

Take care not to be

an intimate of any fool.

An easy mark for every fool

وَعَلَيكَ نَفسَكَ فَاِرعَها

وَعَلَيكَ نَفسَكَ فَاِرعَها

وَاِكسِب لَها فِعلاً جَميلا

وَاِكسِب لَها فِعلاً جَميلا

And attend to your own soul, and care for it;

Apply yourself and do

and earn for it a noble deed.

Virtuous deeds for your soul

وَلَقَلَّ ما تَلقى اللَئي

وَلَقَلَّ ما تَلقى اللَئي

مَ عَلَيكَ إِلّا مُستَطيلا

مَ عَلَيكَ إِلّا مُستَطيلا

And seldom do you meet a base man

Rarely will you encounter

who is not lording it over you.

Any but the unjust

وَالمَرءُ إِن عَرَفَ الجَمي

وَالمَرءُ إِن عَرَفَ الجَمي

لَ وَجَدتَهُ يَبغي الجَميلا

لَ وَجَدتَهُ يَبغي الجَميلا

And a man, if he recognizes goodness,

And people who know what is good

you will find him seeking goodness.

Seek out the beautiful

كَشَفتُ أَخلاقَ الرِجا

كَشَفتُ أَخلاقَ الرِجا

لِ وَخُقتُهُم جيلاً فَجيلَ

لِ وَخُقتُهُم جيلاً فَجيلَ

I have uncovered the characters of men,

I have uncovered men’s character

and [tested?] them, generation after generation.

Generation after generation

إِضرِب بِطَرفِكَ حَيثُ شِئ

إِضرِب بِطَرفِكَ حَيثُ شِئ

تَ فَلا تَرى إِلّا بَخيلَ

تَ فَلا تَرى إِلّا بَخيلَ

Cast your gaze wherever you wish;

Wherever you look

you will see none but the miserly.

You see only the stingy

يا مَوطِنَ الدارِ الَّتي

يا مَوطِنَ الدارِ الَّتي

هُوَ مُسرِعٌ عَنها الرَحيلا

هُوَ مُسرِعٌ عَنها الرَحيلا

O site of the dwelling from which

Oh homeland, the abode

he is hastening to depart!

From which he hurries to depart

إِن لَم تُنِل خَيراً أَخا

إِن لَم تُنِل خَيراً أَخا

كَ فَكُن عَلَيهِ لَهُ دَليلا

كَ فَكُن عَلَيهِ لَهُ دَليلا

If you do not grant your brother some good,

If a brother of yours attains no good

then be his guide to it.

Be for him a guide

وَإِذا أَنَلتَ أَخاً فَلا

وَإِذا أَنَلتَ أَخاً فَلا

تَستَكثِرَنَّ لَهُ الجَزيلا

تَستَكثِرَنَّ لَهُ الجَزيلا

And when you give to a brother, do not

And if you have a brother who prospers

ever deem a lavish gift too much for him.

Do not begrudge him plenty