أَصَمُّ عَنِ الكَلِمِ المُحفِظاتِ

أَصَمُّ عَنِ الكَلِمِ المُحفِظاتِ

وَأَحلُمُ وَالحِلمُ بي أَشبَهُ

وَأَحلُمُ وَالحِلمُ بي أَشبَهُ

I turn a deaf ear to words that provoke anger,

I am silent to guarded speech,

I turn a deaf ear to words meant to provoke,

And show forbearance, for forbearance better befits me.

And I dream, and the dream in me is most like.

And I exercise forbearance, for forbearance befits me best.

وَإِنّي لَأَترُكَ حُلوَ الكَلامِ

وَإِنّي لَأَترُكَ حُلوَ الكَلامِ

كِئلّا أُجابُ بِما أَكرَهُ

كِئلّا أُجابُ بِما أَكرَهُ

And indeed I forgo sweet speech,

Yet I do leave off sweet discourse,

Indeed, I leave aside even pleasant speech,

Lest I be answered with what I dislike.

Lest I be answered with what I abhor.

Lest I be answered with that which I abhor.

إِذا ما اِجتَرَرتَ سَفاهَ السَفيهِ

إِذا ما اِجتَرَرتَ سَفاهَ السَفيهِ

عَليَّ فَإِنّي أَنا الأَسفَهُ

عَليَّ فَإِنّي أَنا الأَسفَهُ

If ever you draw the fool's folly

When the foolish man vents on me his foolishness,

For if you draw the insolence of the fool upon me,

Upon me, then I myself am the greater fool.

I, more foolish than he,

Then I shall prove the greater fool.

فَلا تَغتَرِر بِرَواءِ الرِجالِ

فَلا تَغتَرِر بِرَواءِ الرِجالِ

وَإِن زَخرَفوا لَكَ أَو مَوَّهوا

وَإِن زَخرَفوا لَكَ أَو مَوَّهوا

So do not be deceived by men's fine appearance,

So think not yourself made happy by men's raving,

So be not deceived by the outward aspect of men,

Even if they embellish for you or dissemble.

Though they grace you or pretend.

Even if they embellish and disguise themselves.

فَكَم مِن فَتىً يُعجِبُ الناظِرينَ

فَكَم مِن فَتىً يُعجِبُ الناظِرينَ

لَهُ أَلسُنٌ وَلَهُ أَوجُهُ

لَهُ أَلسُنٌ وَلَهُ أَوجُهُ

For many a young man impresses onlookers:

For many a lad will please beholders,

For how many a youth impresses the beholders,

He has many tongues, and many faces.

With tongues and faces fine,

While possessing many tongues and many faces;

يَنامُ إِذا حَضَرَ المَكرماتِ

يَنامُ إِذا حَضَرَ المَكرماتِ

وَعِندَ الدَناءَةِ يَستَنبِهُ

وَعِندَ الدَناءَةِ يَستَنبِهُ

He sleeps when in the presence of noble deeds,

Who sleeps when noble matters call,

He slumbers when noble deeds are at hand,

And at baseness he awakens.

And wakes at deeds of shame.

Yet when baseness occurs, he is wide awake.