مَن لَك بالصدوق

مَن لَك بالصدوق

وَحافظ الحُقوق

وَحافظ الحُقوق

Who can find you someone truthful

Who do you have that is truthful

and one who safeguards rights?

And preserves rights

لا البشر وَالمداهنه

لا البشر وَالمداهنه

وَاللطف وَالمُحاسنه

وَاللطف وَالمُحاسنه

Not smiles and flattery,

Not people who flatter

nor kindness and pleasing manners.

And charm and beauty

لا تَغتَرر بِظاهر

لا تَغتَرر بِظاهر

وَحسن بشر باهر

وَحسن بشر باهر

Do not be deceived by appearances

Do not be fooled by the exterior

or the beauty of a dazzling smile.

And splendid human appearance

وَأعطهم كَذاكا

وَأعطهم كَذاكا

تملك بِهِ أَعداكا

تملك بِهِ أَعداكا

And give them the same;

And give them accordingly

with it you will master your enemies.

To possess thereby your enemies

صاحبهم عَلى وَجَل

صاحبهم عَلى وَجَل

مِن شَرهم تكفى الزلل

مِن شَرهم تكفى الزلل

Keep their company in fear

Befriend them worriedly

of their evil; you will be spared missteps.

Of their evil, faults suffice

إِياكَ وَالمُباسَطه

إِياكَ وَالمُباسَطه

وَكَثرة المُخالَطه

وَكَثرة المُخالَطه

Beware of overfamiliarity

Beware of intimacy

and too much socializing.

And much intermingling

لِكُل عقد واسطه

لِكُل عقد واسطه

لكل عقد ناشطه

لكل عقد ناشطه

Every necklace has a centerpiece;

For every contract an intermediary

every knot has someone to untie it.

For every contract an active one

احذر عَلى التحقيق

احذر عَلى التحقيق

عَداوة الصديق

عَداوة الصديق

Be truly on your guard

Beware in truth

against a friend's hostility.

The enmity of a friend

امنحه كُل بَرَكه

امنحه كُل بَرَكه

وَامنعه كُل شركه

وَامنعه كُل شركه

Grant him every blessing,

Give him every blessing

but deny him any partnership.

And deny him every partnership

ما أَحسَن التوفيقا

ما أَحسَن التوفيقا

ما أَعدم الصديقا

ما أَعدم الصديقا

How fine is success!

How good is harmony

How rare a friend is!

How missing is the friend

أَشبع إِذا أطعمتا

أَشبع إِذا أطعمتا

أسجح إِذا ملكتا

أسجح إِذا ملكتا

When you feed, feed to fullness;

Satiate if you feed

be lenient when you wield power.

Prostrate if you possess

قُل للأَنام حسنا

قُل للأَنام حسنا

تَبن بِذاكَ رُكنا

تَبن بِذاكَ رُكنا

Speak kindly to humankind;

Say to people, good

you will thereby build a pillar.

You build thereby a pillar

لا تكثر الشكايه

لا تكثر الشكايه

فَإِنَّها جِنايه

فَإِنَّها جِنايه

Do not complain too much,

Do not complain much

for it is an offense.

For it is a crime

لا تصحبن ذا ريبه

لا تصحبن ذا ريبه

وَخلة معيبه

وَخلة معيبه

Never befriend one marked by suspicion

Do not accompany one suspicious

and a blameworthy trait.

And a private reproach

إِذا استشرت فَاِنصح

إِذا استشرت فَاِنصح

إِذا سُئلت فَاسمح

إِذا سُئلت فَاسمح

When consulted, advise sincerely;

If you consult, then advise

when asked, give freely.

If asked, then facilitate

العَفو عِندَ القُدرة

العَفو عِندَ القُدرة

شكر لحسن النصره

شكر لحسن النصره

Forgiveness when you have power

Pardoning when able

is gratitude for gracious support.

Thanks for good victory

لا تقنعن بالدون

لا تقنعن بالدون

فَذاكَ أَصل الهون

فَذاكَ أَصل الهون

Never settle for the inferior,

Do not be content with less

for that is the root of humiliation.

For that is the origin of disgrace

إِذا جَهلت فَاِسأل

إِذا جَهلت فَاِسأل

إِذا سئلت فَاِبذل

إِذا سئلت فَاِبذل

When you do not know, ask;

If ignorant, then ask

when asked, give freely.

If asked, then give

لا تَبخلن بِفائِده

لا تَبخلن بِفائِده

فَهِيَ عَلَيك عائِده

فَهِيَ عَلَيك عائِده

Never be stingy with anything useful,

Do not be stingy with benefit

for it will return to you.

For it returns to you

لِكُل نار قادح

لِكُل نار قادح

لِكُل بئر نازح

لِكُل بئر نازح

Every fire has its kindler;

For every fire a lighter

every well has one who drains it.

For every well a drawer

لكل شيء موضع

لكل شيء موضع

لكل صنع مصنع

لكل صنع مصنع

Everything has its place;

For everything a place

every craft has its workshop.

For every craft a maker

ما لك عِند الشده

ما لك عِند الشده

مثل الجَميل عده

مثل الجَميل عده

In hardship, you have nothing

What do you have in hardship

like kindness as a resource.

Like a good friend's help

مَوَدة الصديق

مَوَدة الصديق

تظهر في المَضيق

تظهر في المَضيق

A friend's affection

Love of a friend

shows itself in times of distress.

Appears in straits

خَير الحَياة ما صَفا

خَير الحَياة ما صَفا

خَير الطعام ما كَفى

خَير الطعام ما كَفى

The best life is that which is untroubled;

Best of lives what was pure

the best food is that which suffices;

Best of food what sufficed

خَير الصديق مَن وَفى

خَير الصديق مَن وَفى

خَير الوَرى مَن أَنصَفا

خَير الوَرى مَن أَنصَفا

the best friend is one who keeps faith;

Best of friends who was loyal

the best of humankind is one who acts justly.

Best of people who was just

بَعض الأناة عَجز

بَعض الأناة عَجز

بَعض السؤال لَمز

بَعض السؤال لَمز

Some deliberation is incapacity;

Some patience is inability

some questioning is fault-finding;

Some questioning is blemish

بَعض الولاد ثكل

بَعض الولاد ثكل

منّ اللئيم غل

منّ اللئيم غل

some births are bereavement;

Some children are bereavement

a base man's reminders of his favors are fetters.

The wicked's gall is filth

الحزم في المشاورة

الحزم في المشاورة

العزم في المبادرة

العزم في المبادرة

Prudence lies in consultation;

Decisiveness in consultation

resolve lies in prompt action.

Determination in undertaking

الحَزم ثُم العَزم

الحَزم ثُم العَزم

كُل وَضيع يَسمو

كُل وَضيع يَسمو

Prudence, then resolve—

Decisiveness then determination

every lowly person rises.

Every ignoble rises

نعم المهاد الأمن

نعم المهاد الأمن

بيع الصديق غبن

بيع الصديق غبن

What a fine resting place safety is!

Good security is tranquility

Selling a friend is a losing bargain.

Selling a friend is loss

الصبر في الشدائد

الصبر في الشدائد

مِن شيم الأَماجد

مِن شيم الأَماجد

Patience in hardships

Patience in ordeals

is among the traits of the noble.

Is of valor's traits

شَر السجايا الحرص

شَر السجايا الحرص

فَضل اللئيم نَقص

فَضل اللئيم نَقص

The worst of traits is greed;

Worst traits are greed

a base man's bounty is a loss.

The wicked's merit is lack

مَن خالَف الطبيبا

مَن خالَف الطبيبا

رَأى القَضا قَريبا

رَأى القَضا قَريبا

Whoever disobeys the physician

Who opposes the doctor

sees death close at hand.

Sees fate soon

بَعض الحَياة مَوت

بَعض الحَياة مَوت

بَعض النجاح فَوت

بَعض النجاح فَوت

Some life is death;

Some life is death

some success is loss.

Some success is loss

كُل أَديب ممتحن

كُل أَديب ممتحن

وَكُل قَلب ذو شجن

وَكُل قَلب ذو شجن

Every cultivated person is tested,

Every scholar is tested

and every heart bears sorrow.

And every heart has passion

المكر وَالخَديعه

المكر وَالخَديعه

مِن نَكد الطبيعه

مِن نَكد الطبيعه

Guile and deceit

Trickery and deception

are among the ills of human nature.

Of nature's tedium

المُستَشار مؤتمن

المُستَشار مؤتمن

ما للذي تَهوى ثَمَن

ما للذي تَهوى ثَمَن

An adviser holds a trust.

The advisor is entrusted

What you love is beyond price.

What is the price of what you desire