وَالصَمتُ خَيرٌ لِلفَتى

وَالصَمتُ خَيرٌ لِلفَتى

ما لَم يَكُن رَعِيٌّ يَشينُهُ

ما لَم يَكُن رَعِيٌّ يَشينُهُ

And silence is better for a young man,

Silence is best for the youth

unless inarticulacy [uncertain reading] brings him shame.

Unless he is a shepherd it disgraces him

وَالقَولُ ذو خَطلٍ إِذا

وَالقَولُ ذو خَطلٍ إِذا

ما لَم يَكُن لُبٌّ يُعينُهُ

ما لَم يَكُن لُبٌّ يُعينُهُ

And speech is fraught with error if

And speech is faulty if

no sound judgment comes to its aid.

The heart does not support it