ما أقرب الأشياء حين يسوقها

ما أقرب الأشياء حين يسوقها

قدر وأبعدها إذا لم تقدر

قدر وأبعدها إذا لم تقدر

How near things are when driven by

How close are things when Fate drives them,

Fate—and how far when they have not been decreed.

And how far when Fate does not decree!

الجد انهض بالفتى من كده

الجد انهض بالفتى من كده

فانهض بجد في الحوادث أو ذرا

فانهض بجد في الحوادث أو ذرا

Good fortune raises a young man more than his toil;

Perseverance raises the youth from his toil—

So rise with good fortune amid life's events, or desist.

Persevere with perseverance in events, or leave them be!

وإذا تعسرت الأمور فأرجها

وإذا تعسرت الأمور فأرجها

وعليك بالأمر الذي لم يعسر

وعليك بالأمر الذي لم يعسر

And if affairs grow difficult, postpone them;

And when affairs grow difficult, defer them,

And attend to the task that has not proved difficult.

And stick to the matter which was not difficult.

فسل الفقيه تكن فقيها مثله

فسل الفقيه تكن فقيها مثله

من يسع في عمل بفقه يمهر

من يسع في عمل بفقه يمهر

So ask the learned man; you will be learned like him.

Ask the jurist to be a jurist like him—

Whoever strives at work with understanding becomes skilled.

One who succeeds in a deed with skilled jurists' wisdom.

وتدبر الأمر الذي تعنى به

وتدبر الأمر الذي تعنى به

لا خير في عمل بغير تدبر

لا خير في عمل بغير تدبر

And ponder the matter with which you are concerned;

And ponder the matter you give your attention to—

There is no good in work without reflection.

No good in a deed without pondering.

فلقد يجر المرء وهو مقصر

فلقد يجر المرء وهو مقصر

ويخيب جد المرء غير مقصر

ويخيب جد المرء غير مقصر

For a man may be drawn onward though he is remiss,

For a man may fail though he is not remiss,

And a man's fortune may fail him though he is not remiss.

And a man's effort may fail though he is not remiss.

ذهب الرجال المقتدى بفعالهم

ذهب الرجال المقتدى بفعالهم

والمنكرون لكل أمر منكر

والمنكرون لكل أمر منكر

Gone are the men whose deeds were emulated,

The men whose actions were exemplary are gone,

And those who denounced every reprehensible act.

And the censurers of every censured thing.

وبقيت في خلف يزين بعضهم

وبقيت في خلف يزين بعضهم

بعضاً ليدفع معور عن معور

بعضاً ليدفع معور عن معور

And I am left among unworthy successors, some of whom extol

And there remains among us a remnant who mutually

Others, so that one flawed man may defend another.

Adorn each other to ward disgrace from the disgraced.

فطن لكل مصيبة في ماله

فطن لكل مصيبة في ماله

وإذا أصيب بعرضه لم يشعر

وإذا أصيب بعرضه لم يشعر

Alert to every misfortune that befalls his wealth,

He is aware of every misfortune to his money,

Yet when his honor is assailed, he does not notice.

Yet when disgraced is unaware.

سلكوا بنيات الطريق فأصبحوا

سلكوا بنيات الطريق فأصبحوا

متنكبين عن الطريق الأكبر

متنكبين عن الطريق الأكبر

They took the byways of the road and ended up

They have trodden the moon's paths, and so

Turning aside from the main road.

Deviated from the greatest path.