إِن كانَت لَكَ اِمرَأَةٌ حَصانٌ

إِن كانَت لَكَ اِمرَأَةٌ حَصانٌ

فَأَنتَ مُحَسَّدٌ بَينَ الفَريقِ

فَأَنتَ مُحَسَّدٌ بَينَ الفَريقِ

If you have a chaste wife,

If you have a virtuous wife,

then you are greatly envied among the company.

You are envied among the people.

فَإِن جَمَعتَ إِلى الإِحصانِ عَقلاً

فَإِن جَمَعتَ إِلى الإِحصانِ عَقلاً

فَبورِكَ مُثمِرُ الغُصنِ الوَريقِ

فَبورِكَ مُثمِرُ الغُصنِ الوَريقِ

And if you add intelligence to chastity,

If you add wisdom to virtue,

then blessed be he who makes the leafy bough bear fruit.

Blessed is the fruitful branch.

وَلا تَأمَن فَإِنَّ النَفسَ أَضحَت

وَلا تَأمَن فَإِنَّ النَفسَ أَضحَت

إِلى النَكراءِ كَالريحِ الخَريقِ

إِلى النَكراءِ كَالريحِ الخَريقِ

And do not feel secure, for the soul has become

Do not feel secure, for the soul

like a raging wind rushing toward wickedness.

Is inclined to the unknown like the blowing wind.

وَلا تَجعَل فِناءَكَ مُستَضاماً

وَلا تَجعَل فِناءَكَ مُستَضاماً

بِمُطَلِّعٍ يَكونُ إِلى الطَريقِ

بِمُطَلِّعٍ يَكونُ إِلى الطَريقِ

And do not leave your courtyard vulnerable to intrusion

Do not make your home openly accessible

through an opening facing the road.

To one who passes by the road.

وَما النَكَباتُ إِلّا مَوجُ بَحرٍ

وَما النَكَباتُ إِلّا مَوجُ بَحرٍ

يَظَلُّ الحَيُّ فيها كَالغَريقِ

يَظَلُّ الحَيُّ فيها كَالغَريقِ

And calamities are nothing but a sea's waves,

Misfortunes are but waves of a sea,

in which the living remain like one drowning.

In which the living remains as one drowned.

وَمَن لَم تُشرِقِ الدُنيا بِماءٍ

وَمَن لَم تُشرِقِ الدُنيا بِماءٍ

فَأُقسِمُ أَن سَتُشرِقُهُ بَريقِ

فَأُقسِمُ أَن سَتُشرِقُهُ بَريقِ

And whomever the world has not choked with water,

And whoever is not illuminated by the world,

then I swear it will choke him with spittle.

I swear it will illuminate him with lightning.