وَلا تُنسَب إِلى كِبر فَهَذا

وَلا تُنسَب إِلى كِبر فَهَذا

أَبوك الترب يَخفِضُك اِنتِسابا

أَبوك الترب يَخفِضُك اِنتِسابا

And do not be associated with pride, for this is

Do not attribute yourself to grandeur, for this

Do not attribute yourself to pride, for behold,

your father, dust, whose lineage brings you low.

Your father, the soil, makes you of low descent

Your father is the dust, which humbles your lineage.

وَلا تَصحَب أَخا كِبرٍ وَقدِّم

وَلا تَصحَب أَخا كِبرٍ وَقدِّم

عَلى النَفس الأَعادِيَ وَالصِحابا

عَلى النَفس الأَعادِيَ وَالصِحابا

And do not befriend a proud man; place

Do not befriend an arrogant brother, and put

Do not keep company with the arrogant, and prefer

enemies and companions before yourself.

Your own self before enemies and friends

Both enemies and companions over your own self.

وَلا تُحبِب مُحاباةً بِمَدح

وَلا تُحبِب مُحاباةً بِمَدح

كَفى بِالمَرء حوباً أَن يُحابى

كَفى بِالمَرء حوباً أَن يُحابى

And do not delight in being favored with praise;

Do not love to be flattered with praise

Do not love to be favored with praise;

it is sin enough for a man to be favored.

It suffices a man to love to be loved

It is sin enough for a man to be the object of favoritism.

وَحاذر أَن تُرى في القَوم رَأساً

وَحاذر أَن تُرى في القَوم رَأساً

وَلا تَنسَ الذُنوب وَكُن ذُنابا

وَلا تَنسَ الذُنوب وَكُن ذُنابا

And beware of being seen as head among the people;

And beware appearing superior among the people

Beware of being seen as a leader among the people;

and do not forget your sins; be a tail.

Do not forget sins, and be sinful

Do not forget your sins, and remain a follower.

تُراباً كُن هُنا فَعَساك أَن لا

تُراباً كُن هُنا فَعَساك أَن لا

تَمَنّى أَن تَكون غَداً تُرابا

تَمَنّى أَن تَكون غَداً تُرابا

Be dust here, so perhaps you will not

Be dust here, perhaps then you will not

Be as dust here, so that perhaps you will not

wish to be dust tomorrow.

Wish tomorrow to again be dust

Wish that you were dust on the Day of Tomorrow.