تَرَجَّ بِلُطفِ القَولِ رَدَّ مُخالِفٍ

تَرَجَّ بِلُطفِ القَولِ رَدَّ مُخالِفٍ

إِلَيكَ فَكَم طِرفٍ يُسَكَّنُ بِالنَقرِ

إِلَيكَ فَكَم طِرفٍ يُسَكَّنُ بِالنَقرِ

Hope, through gentle speech, to bring an opponent back

With gentle words he calmed his heated foe

to you; for many a noble steed is calmed by clicking.

How many glances are soothed by soft rebuke?

وَإِن لَم تَرَ الصَقرَ الحَمامَةُ دَهرَها

وَإِن لَم تَرَ الصَقرَ الحَمامَةُ دَهرَها

فَمِن شِيَمِ الوُرقِ الحِذارُ مِنَ الصَقرِ

فَمِن شِيَمِ الوُرقِ الحِذارُ مِنَ الصَقرِ

Even if a dove has never seen a falcon in all her life,

The dove may never see the hawk as friend

fear of the falcon is among the traits of gray doves.

Yet wariness of hawks is the leaves' wont

وَإِن جاءَ ضَيفٌ طارِقٌ عَن ضَرورَةٍ

وَإِن جاءَ ضَيفٌ طارِقٌ عَن ضَرورَةٍ

فَذُخرٌ لِقاريهِ الطَعامُ الَّذي يَقري

فَذُخرٌ لِقاريهِ الطَعامُ الَّذي يَقري

And if a guest arrives by night out of necessity,

If a guest should come, compelled by need

then the food his host serves is a treasure for that host.

Sustenance for the starved is food enough

تَعَوَّدتَ مِنّي عادَةً فَتَرَكتَها

تَعَوَّدتَ مِنّي عادَةً فَتَرَكتَها

وَما ذاكَ مِن نِسيانِ حَقٍّ وَلا حُقرِ

وَما ذاكَ مِن نِسيانِ حَقٍّ وَلا حُقرِ

You grew accustomed to a practice of mine, then abandoned it;

A habit you'd acquired you later dropped

and that was neither from forgetting an obligation nor from contempt.

Not heedlessness of right nor disregard

وَإِنَّ اِقتِناعَ النَفسِ مِن أَحسَنِ الغِنى

وَإِنَّ اِقتِناعَ النَفسِ مِن أَحسَنِ الغِنى

كَما أَنَّ سوءَ الحِرصِ مِن أَقبَحِ الفَقرِ

كَما أَنَّ سوءَ الحِرصِ مِن أَقبَحِ الفَقرِ

And indeed, the soul's contentment is among the finest forms of wealth,

Contentment of the soul is riches indeed

just as vicious greed is among the ugliest forms of poverty.

As greed's excess is poverty's worst need