تَجَنَّبِ الوَعدَ يَوماً أَن تَفوهَ بِهِ

تَجَنَّبِ الوَعدَ يَوماً أَن تَفوهَ بِهِ

فَإِن وَعَدتَ فَلا يَذمُمكَ إِنجازُ

فَإِن وَعَدتَ فَلا يَذمُمكَ إِنجازُ

Avoid ever uttering a promise.

Avoid promising what you will say one day

But if you promise, fulfilling it brings you no reproach.

For if you promise, fulfilling is no disgrace

وَاِصمُت فَإِنَّ كَلامَ المَرءِ يُهلِكُهُ

وَاِصمُت فَإِنَّ كَلامَ المَرءِ يُهلِكُهُ

وَإِن نَطَقتَ فَإِفصاحٌ وَإِيجازُ

وَإِن نَطَقتَ فَإِفصاحٌ وَإِيجازُ

And keep silent, for a person's speech destroys him.

Stay silent, for a man's words can destroy him

And if you speak, let it be with clarity and brevity.

And if you speak, let it be clear and concise

وَإِن عَجَزتَ عَنِ الخَيراتِ تَفعَلُها

وَإِن عَجَزتَ عَنِ الخَيراتِ تَفعَلُها

فَلا يَكُن دونَ تَركِ الشَرِّ إِعجازُ

فَلا يَكُن دونَ تَركِ الشَرِّ إِعجازُ

And if you are unable to perform good deeds,

If you cannot do good deeds

then let no incapacity stand in the way of abandoning evil.

At least refrain from evil, nothing less suffices