وفي الناس اقذاع ملاهيج بالخنا

وفي الناس اقذاع ملاهيج بالخنا

متى يبلغ الجدُّ الحفيظةَ يلعبوا

متى يبلغ الجدُّ الحفيظةَ يلعبوا

And among the people are foul-mouthed men, ever given to obscenity.

Among people are wicked fools amused by obscenity

Whenever seriousness reaches the point of indignant zeal, they jest.

When will seriousness reach the cautious mind as they play

ومن لا يكن في صدر أمرٍ ينوبه

ومن لا يكن في صدر أمرٍ ينوبه

كذي العَجُز البالي له حين يذهبُ

كذي العَجُز البالي له حين يذهبُ

And whoever, at the outset of a matter that befalls him, is not

He who has no important matter that preoccupies him

like one at its end, experienced in it when it passes,

Like a decrepit old man when his strength goes

يصل من حبال الغدر فيما ينوبه

يصل من حبال الغدر فيما ينوبه

بمرمقة يردى بها المتذبذبُ

بمرمقة يردى بها المتذبذبُ

joins some of treachery’s cords, amid what befalls him,

Ties ropes of betrayal in whatever preoccupies him

to a loosely twisted strand by which the wavering man is ruined.

With a pretense by which the wavering one becomes depraved