الناسُ مِن جِهَةِ التِمثالِ اَكفاءُ

الناسُ مِن جِهَةِ التِمثالِ اَكفاءُ

أَبوهُمُ آدَمُ وَالأُمُ حَوّاءُ

أَبوهُمُ آدَمُ وَالأُمُ حَوّاءُ

People are equals in bodily form;

In form, people are all equal

People are equals in their form and creation,

Their father is Adam, and their mother is Eve.

Adam is their father, Eve their mother

Their father is Adam, and the mother is Eve.

نَفسٌ كَنَفسٍ وَأَرواحٌ مُشاكَلَةٌ

نَفسٌ كَنَفسٍ وَأَرواحٌ مُشاكَلَةٌ

وَأَعظُمٍ خُلِقَت فيها وَأَعضاءُ

وَأَعظُمٍ خُلِقَت فيها وَأَعضاءُ

One soul is like another, and spirits are alike,

Each soul is like the other, spirits alike

Soul resembles soul, and spirits are kindred,

And bones and limbs are created within them.

In them the greatest qualities were created and limbs

With bones created within, and limbs alike.

وَإِنَّما أُمَّهاتُ الناسِ أَوعِيَةٌ

وَإِنَّما أُمَّهاتُ الناسِ أَوعِيَةٌ

مُستَودِعاتٌ وَلِلأَحسابِ آباءُ

مُستَودِعاتٌ وَلِلأَحسابِ آباءُ

And people's mothers are merely vessels,

The mothers of men are but vessels

For the mothers of men are merely vessels,

Repositories; and ancestral honors come from fathers.

Depositories, while fathers determine the accounts

Repositories entrusted, while lineage traces to fathers.

فَإِن يَكُن لَهُمُ مِن أَصلِهِم شَرَفٌ

فَإِن يَكُن لَهُمُ مِن أَصلِهِم شَرَفٌ

يُفاخِرونَ بِهِ فَالطينُ وَالماءُ

يُفاخِرونَ بِهِ فَالطينُ وَالماءُ

So if they have any nobility from their origins

If they can take pride in their origin

So if they claim honor from their origin,

Of which they boast, it is clay and water.

Then it is but clay and water

Boasting of it—behold, it is but clay and water.

ما الفَضلُ إِلا لِأَهلِ العِلمِ إِنَّهُمُ

ما الفَضلُ إِلا لِأَهلِ العِلمِ إِنَّهُمُ

عَلى الهُدى لِمَنِ اِستَهدى أَدِلّاءُ

عَلى الهُدى لِمَنِ اِستَهدى أَدِلّاءُ

Merit belongs only to the learned; indeed, they

No merit except for the learned

True merit belongs solely to the people of knowledge,

Are guides on the right path for those who seek guidance.

They are guides, for those who seek guidance, trustees

For they are guides on the path for those seeking guidance.

وَقَدرُ كُلِّ اِمرِئٍ ما كاَن يُحسِنُهُ

وَقَدرُ كُلِّ اِمرِئٍ ما كاَن يُحسِنُهُ

وَلِلرِجالِ عَلى الأَفعالِ اسماءُ

وَلِلرِجالِ عَلى الأَفعالِ اسماءُ

And each person's worth is what he does well,

To each person belongs what he masters

The worth of every man is what he has mastered,

And men bear names according to their deeds.

And men are named for their deeds

And men are named according to their deeds.

وَضِدُّ كُلِّ اِمرِئٍ ما كانَ يَجهَلُهُ

وَضِدُّ كُلِّ اِمرِئٍ ما كانَ يَجهَلُهُ

وَالجاهِلونَ لِأَهلِ العِلمِ أَعداءُ

وَالجاهِلونَ لِأَهلِ العِلمِ أَعداءُ

And each person's enemy is what he does not know,

The antithesis of each is what he does not grasp

The adversary of every man is that of which he is ignorant,

And the ignorant are enemies of the learned.

And the ignorant are the enemies of the learned

And the ignorant are enemies to the people of knowledge.

وَإِن أَتَيتَ بِجودٍ مِن ذَوي نَسَبٍ

وَإِن أَتَيتَ بِجودٍ مِن ذَوي نَسَبٍ

فَإِنَّ نِسبَتَنا جودٌ وَعَلياءُ

فَإِنَّ نِسبَتَنا جودٌ وَعَلياءُ

And if you bring generosity from those of noble lineage,

Though you come with generosity, of noble lineage

Even if you bring forth bounty from those of noble blood,

Then our lineage is generosity and eminence.

Our lineage is generosity and loftiness

Our true lineage is bounty and eminence.

فَفُز بِعِلمٍ وَلا تَطلُب بِهِ بَدَلاً

فَفُز بِعِلمٍ وَلا تَطلُب بِهِ بَدَلاً

فَالناسُ مَوتى وَأهُلُ العِلمِ أَحياءُ

فَالناسُ مَوتى وَأهُلُ العِلمِ أَحياءُ

So attain knowledge, and seek no substitute for it;

So win knowledge, do not seek payment for it

So triumph with knowledge and seek no substitute for it,

For people are dead, while the learned are alive.

For people are dead, but the learned are alive

For all people are dead, while the people of knowledge are alive.