قَدِّم لِنَفسِكَ في الحَياةِ تَزَوُّداً

قَدِّم لِنَفسِكَ في الحَياةِ تَزَوُّداً

فَلَقَد تَفارِقُها وَأَنتَ مُوِّدِعُ

فَلَقَد تَفارِقُها وَأَنتَ مُوِّدِعُ

Send ahead provisions for yourself during life,

Make provision for yourself in life, for you will certainly bid it farewell.

Prepare provisions for yourself in this life, for you will surely depart and bid it farewell.

For you will surely leave it, bidding farewell.

Pay heed to the imminent journey, for it is nearer than the distant one.

Attend to the imminent journey, for in truth, it is more distant and vast than any physical travel.

وَاهتَمَّ لِلسَفَرِ القَريبِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَاهتَمَّ لِلسَفَرِ القَريبِ فَإِنَّهُ

أَنأى مِنَ السَفَرِ البَعيدِ وَأَشسَعُ

أَنأى مِنَ السَفَرِ البَعيدِ وَأَشسَعُ

And attend to the journey near at hand, for it is

Let your provision be fear and piety, as if your shroud will hastily enwrap you.

Make fear of God and piety your supplies, as if your death arrives faster than the evening.

Farther than the distant journey, and vaster.

Be content with your livelihood, for contentment is riches, while poverty accompanies the discontent.

Be satisfied with your sustenance, for contentment is wealth, while poverty clings to the one who is never satisfied.

وَاجعَل تَزَوُّدَكَ المَخافَةَ وَالتُّقى

وَاجعَل تَزَوُّدَكَ المَخافَةَ وَالتُّقى

وَكَأَنَّ حَتفَكَ مِن مسائِكَ أَسرَعُ

وَكَأَنَّ حَتفَكَ مِن مسائِكَ أَسرَعُ

And make fear and piety your provisions,

Beware the company of ignoble men, for they withheld sincere affection and feigned friendship.

Beware the company of scoundrels, for they withhold pure affection and merely feign friendship.

As though your death would come sooner than your evening.

The pretentious have never attained satisfaction, and when you withhold, they slander you.

People of pretense act only as long as you please them, but if you refuse, their poison is steeped ready for you.

وَاقنَع بِقوتِكَ فَالقِناعُ هُوَ الغِنى

وَاقنَع بِقوتِكَ فَالقِناعُ هُوَ الغِنى

وَالفَقرُ مَقرونٌ بِمنَ لا يَقنَعُ

وَالفَقرُ مَقرونٌ بِمنَ لا يَقنَعُ

And be content with your sustenance, for contentment is wealth,

Do not divulge a secret you are able to conceal, to one who divulges entrusted secrets to you.

Do not disclose a secret, if you can help it, to a man who discloses to you the secrets entrusted to him.

And poverty is bound to whoever is not content.

Just as you see him dealing with others’ secrets, so too will he inevitably deal with your secrets.

For just as you see him dealing with another's secret, so too with your secret he will inevitably deal.

وَاَحذَر مُصاحَبَةَ اللِئام فإِنَّهمِ

وَاَحذَر مُصاحَبَةَ اللِئام فإِنَّهمِ

مَنَعوكَ صَفوَ وِدادِهِم وَتَصَنَّعوا

مَنَعوكَ صَفوَ وِدادِهِم وَتَصَنَّعوا

And beware of keeping company with the base, for they

Do not initiate a discourse in a gathering before inquiry, for that is improper.

Do not initiate speech in a gathering before you are asked, for that is disgraceful behavior.

Have withheld their sincere affection from you and put on a pretense.

Silence enhances every notion about a youth, perhaps he is an ignorant fool who mended his tear.

Silence improves every opinion held of a youth, even if he be clumsy, foolish, or dull-witted.

أَهَلُ التَصَنُّعِ ما أَنَلتَهُمُ الرِضى

أَهَلُ التَصَنُّعِ ما أَنَلتَهُمُ الرِضى

وَإِذا مَنعتَ فَسُمُّهُم لَكَ مُنقَعُ

وَإِذا مَنعتَ فَسُمُّهُم لَكَ مُنقَعُ

They are pretenders so long as you keep them pleased,

Abandon jesting, for many a jester’s phrase has brought undeserved harm upon you.

Abandon jesting, for many a word spoken in jest has brought about troubles that cannot be repelled.

And when you withhold, their poison is steeped for you.

Do not neglect guarding your neighbor, for the sublime dignity is never attained by the neglectful.

Do not neglect the rights of your neighbor, for no one who neglects duty attains high honor.

لا تَفشِ سِرّاً ما اِستَطَعتَ إِلى اِمرئٍ

لا تَفشِ سِرّاً ما اِستَطَعتَ إِلى اِمرئٍ

يَفشي إِلَيكَ سَرائراً يُستَودَعُ

يَفشي إِلَيكَ سَرائراً يُستَودَعُ

Do not, as far as you can, reveal a secret to a man

And if one who wronged you apologizes for a slip, accept it, for the reward of that is greater.

If an offender asks you to pardon a stumble, then forgive him, for the reward of that is far greater.

Who reveals to you secrets entrusted to him.

When entrusted with secrets, conceal them, and veil your brother’s flaws when you chance upon them.

If you are entrusted with secrets, keep them hidden, and veil your brother's faults whenever you perceive them.

فَكَما تَراهُ بِسِرِّ غَيرِكَ صانِعاً

فَكَما تَراهُ بِسِرِّ غَيرِكَ صانِعاً

فَكَذا بِسِرِّكَ لا مَحالَةَ يَصنَعُ

فَكَذا بِسِرِّكَ لا مَحالَةَ يَصنَعُ

For just as you see him handling another's secret,

Do not despair at misfortunes, for it is misfortunes that cause men to despair.

Do not panic at life's calamities, for panic in the face of misfortune is but a weakness of men.

So too will he inevitably handle your secret.

And obey your father in all he enjoined, for the obedient son is never shaken.

Obey your father in all that he advises, for he who obeys his father shall never fall to ruin.

لا تَبدَأَنَّ بِمَنطِقٍ في مَجلِسٍ

لا تَبدَأَنَّ بِمَنطِقٍ في مَجلِسٍ

قَبلَ السُؤالِ فَإِنَّ ذاكَ يَشنعُ

قَبلَ السُؤالِ فَإِنَّ ذاكَ يَشنعُ

Never begin speaking in a gathering

Before being asked, for that is unseemly.

فَالصَمتُ يُحسِنُ كُلَّ ظَنٍ بِالفَتى

فَالصَمتُ يُحسِنُ كُلَّ ظَنٍ بِالفَتى

وَلَعَلَّهُ خَرقٌ سَفيهٌ أَرقَعُ

وَلَعَلَّهُ خَرقٌ سَفيهٌ أَرقَعُ

For silence makes every opinion of a young man favorable,

Yet he may be inept, foolish, and witless.

وَدَعِ المُزاحَ فَرُبَّ لَفظَةِ مازِحٍ

وَدَعِ المُزاحَ فَرُبَّ لَفظَةِ مازِحٍ

جَلَبَت إَلَيكَ مساوئاً لا تُدفَعُ

جَلَبَت إَلَيكَ مساوئاً لا تُدفَعُ

And abandon jesting, for many a word spoken in jest

Has brought you troubles that cannot be warded off.

وَحِفاظَ جارِكَ لا تُضِعهُ فَإِنَهُ

وَحِفاظَ جارِكَ لا تُضِعهُ فَإِنَهُ

لا يَبلُغُ الشَرَفُ الجَسيمُ مُضيِّعُ

لا يَبلُغُ الشَرَفُ الجَسيمُ مُضيِّعُ

And do not neglect safeguarding your neighbor, for

No negligent person attains great honor.

وَإِذا اَستَقالَكَ ذو الإِساءَةٍ عَثرَةً

وَإِذا اَستَقالَكَ ذو الإِساءَةٍ عَثرَةً

فَأَقِلهُ إِنَّ ثَوابَ ذَلِكَ أَوسَعُ

فَأَقِلهُ إِنَّ ثَوابَ ذَلِكَ أَوسَعُ

And when a wrongdoer asks you to pardon a stumble,

Then pardon him; indeed, the reward for that is greater.

وَإِذا ائتُمِنتَ عَلى السَرائِرِ فَاِخفِها

وَإِذا ائتُمِنتَ عَلى السَرائِرِ فَاِخفِها

وَاَستُر عُيوبَ أَخيكَ حينَ تَطلَّعُ

وَاَستُر عُيوبَ أَخيكَ حينَ تَطلَّعُ

And when you are entrusted with secrets, conceal them,

And cover your brother's faults when you discover them.

لا تَجزَعَنَّ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ إِنَّما

لا تَجزَعَنَّ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ إِنَّما

خَرقُ الرِجالِ عَلى الحَوادِثِ يُجزِعُ

خَرقُ الرِجالِ عَلى الحَوادِثِ يُجزِعُ

Do not panic at calamities; only

The foolish among men panic at calamities.

وَأَطِع أَباكَ بِكُلِّ ما أَوصى بِهِ

وَأَطِع أَباكَ بِكُلِّ ما أَوصى بِهِ

إِنَّ المُطيعَ أَباهُ لا يَتَضَعضَعُ

إِنَّ المُطيعَ أَباهُ لا يَتَضَعضَعُ

And obey your father in all that he has enjoined,

Indeed, one who obeys his father does not falter.