إِذاwhen اِجتَمَعَcome together الآفاتُthe failings فَالبُخلُthen miserliness شَرّهاthe worst of them
إِذا اِجتَمَعَ الآفاتُ فَالبُخلُ شَرّها
وَشَرٌّand worse مِنَthan البُخلِmiserliness المَواعيدِpromises وَالمَطلُand stalling
وَشَرٌّ مِنَ البُخلِ المَواعيدِ وَالمَطلُ
When failings gather, miserliness is the worst of them.
When misfortunes gather, stinginess is the worst
If all vices were to gather, miserliness would be the worst of them,
And worse than miserliness are promises and stalling.
And worse than stinginess are false promises and procrastination
And worse than miserliness are promises followed by delay.
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيin وَعدٍa promise إِذاif كانَit is كاذِباًfalse
وَلا خَيرَ في وَعدٍ إِذا كانَ كاذِباً
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيin قَولٍspeech إِذاif لَمnot يَكُنthere is فِعلُaction
وَلا خَيرَ في قَولٍ إِذا لَم يَكُن فِعلُ
And there is no good in a promise if it is false.
No good comes from a promise that is a lie
There is no good in a promise if it proves to be a lie,
And there is no good in speech if there is no action.
No good comes from words not followed by action
And there is no good in speech if there is no action.
إِذاif كُنتَyou are ذاpossessing عِلمٍknowledge وَلَمand not تَكُyou are عاقِلاًwise
إِذا كُنتَ ذا عِلمٍ وَلَم تَكُ عاقِلاً
فَأَنتَthen you كَذيlike one possessing نَعلٍa sandal وَلَيسَand there is no لَهُfor him رِجلُa foot
فَأَنتَ كَذي نَعلٍ وَلَيسَ لَهُ رِجلُ
If you possess knowledge but are not wise,
If you have knowledge but lack wisdom
If you possess knowledge but lack sound reason,
Then you are like one with a sandal but no foot.
You are like a sandal with no foot
Then you are like one who has a sandal but no foot.
وَإِنand if كُنتَyou are ذاpossessing عَقلٍreason وَلَمand not تَكُyou are عالِماًlearned
وَإِن كُنتَ ذا عَقلٍ وَلَم تَكُ عالِماً
فَأَنتَthen you كَذيlike one possessing رِجلٍa foot وَلَيسَand there is no لَهُfor him نَعلُa sandal
فَأَنتَ كَذي رِجلٍ وَلَيسَ لَهُ نَعلُ
And if you possess reason but are not learned,
And if you have wisdom but lack knowledge
And if you possess reason but lack knowledge,
Then you are like one with a foot but no sandal.
You are like a foot with no sandal
Then you are like one who has a foot but no sandal.
ألاbehold إِنَّماonly الإِنسانُthe human being غِمدٌa sheath لِعَقلِهِfor his reason
ألا إِنَّما الإِنسانُ غِمدٌ لِعَقلِهِ
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيin غِمدٍa sheath إِذاif لَمnot يَكُنthere is نَصلُa blade
وَلا خَيرَ في غِمدٍ إِذا لَم يَكُن نَصلُ
Behold, a human being is but a sheath for his reason.
Know that man is but a sheath for his intellect
Truly, a human being is merely a sheath for his intellect,
And there is no good in a sheath if it has no blade.
Of no use is a sheath without a blade
And there is no worth in a sheath if it holds no blade.
Sol 6.1