تكلَّمْ وسدَّدْ ما استطعْتَ فإنَّما

تكلَّمْ وسدَّدْ ما استطعْتَ فإنَّما

كلامُكَ حَيُّ والسُّكوتُ جَمادُ

كلامُكَ حَيُّ والسُّكوتُ جَمادُ

Speak, and aim aright as best you can, for

Speak and aim as best as you can, for

Your speech is alive, and silence is lifeless.

Your words are alive, while silence is dead.

وإن لم تجِدْ قولاً سديداً تقولُهُ

وإن لم تجِدْ قولاً سديداً تقولُهُ

فصمْتُكَ مِن غِيرِ السَّدادِ سَدادُ

فصمْتُكَ مِن غِيرِ السَّدادِ سَدادُ

And if you find no sound words to say,

And if no proper words come that you can say,

Then your silence, rather than unsound speech, is sound judgment.

Then your silence without wisdom is wisdom.