زَهوي عَلى المَرءِ فَوقي مُتلِفٌ عَلى

زَهوي عَلى المَرءِ فَوقي مُتلِفٌ عَلى

مِثلي غَباً وَعَلى مَن دونَهُ أَشَرُ

مِثلي غَباً وَعَلى مَن دونَهُ أَشَرُ

My arrogance toward a man above me is ruinous; toward

Arrogance over others exceeds me

my equal, folly; and toward one beneath him, insolence.

Though equal to my likes and superior to those below

حَسبُ البَرِيَّةِ مِن قُربى تَضُمُّهُمُ

حَسبُ البَرِيَّةِ مِن قُربى تَضُمُّهُمُ

أَشياءُ توجَدُ مِنها أُلَّفَ البَشَرُ

أَشياءُ توجَدُ مِنها أُلَّفَ البَشَرُ

For humankind, kinship enough to bind them lies in

The measure of humanity is relatives who cherish them

the things that exist, from which humans were composed.

With things found that bring people together

وَالناسُ كَالنارِ كانوا في نَشاءَتِهِم

وَالناسُ كَالنارِ كانوا في نَشاءَتِهِم

يُستَضوَأُ السِقطُ مِنها ثُمَّ يَنتَشِرُ

يُستَضوَأُ السِقطُ مِنها ثُمَّ يَنتَشِرُ

And people, in their beginnings, were like fire:

And people are like fire in their youth

a spark from it is used for light, then spreads.

Its sparks are taken from which then spread

وَالأَرضُ تُنبِتُ مِن نَخلٍ وَمِن عُشَرٍ

وَالأَرضُ تُنبِتُ مِن نَخلٍ وَمِن عُشَرٍ

وَما يُخَلَّدُ لا نَخلٌ وَلا عُشَرُ

وَما يُخَلَّدُ لا نَخلٌ وَلا عُشَرُ

And the earth brings forth date palms and ʿushar shrubs,

And the earth grows palms and vineyards

yet neither date palms nor ʿushar shrubs live forever.

What lasts is neither palms nor vineyards

لَو يَعقِلونَ لَهَنَّوا أَهلَ مَيِّتِهِم

لَو يَعقِلونَ لَهَنَّوا أَهلَ مَيِّتِهِم

وَلَم تَقَم لِوَليدٍ فيهُمُ البُشَرُ

وَلَم تَقَم لِوَليدٍ فيهُمُ البُشَرُ

If they had sense, they would congratulate the family of their dead,

If they had sense, they'd grieve their dead

and no glad tidings would be proclaimed among them for a newborn.

And no human would rejoice at the death of a child