قَلِيلٌ مَنْ يَدُومُ عَلَى الْوِدَادِ

قَلِيلٌ مَنْ يَدُومُ عَلَى الْوِدَادِ

فَلا تَحْفِلْ بِقُرْبٍ أَوْ بِعَادِ

فَلا تَحْفِلْ بِقُرْبٍ أَوْ بِعَادِ

Few remain constant in affection.

Few are those who keep affection long

So pay no heed to nearness or distance.

So care not whether one's near or far

إِذَا كَانَ التَّغَيُّرُ فِي اللَّيَالِي

إِذَا كَانَ التَّغَيُّرُ فِي اللَّيَالِي

فَكَيْفَ يَدُومُ وُدٌّ فِي فُؤَادِ

فَكَيْفَ يَدُومُ وُدٌّ فِي فُؤَادِ

If change occurs in the nights,

When nights themselves are fickle

Then how can affection endure in a heart?

How can love in the heart endure?

وَمَنْ لَكَ أَنْ تَرَى قَلْبَاً نَقِيَّاً

وَمَنْ لَكَ أَنْ تَرَى قَلْبَاً نَقِيَّاً

وَلَمَّا يَخْلُ قَلْبٌ مِنْ سَوَادِ

وَلَمَّا يَخْلُ قَلْبٌ مِنْ سَوَادِ

And who can assure you of seeing a pure heart,

Who are you to expect a heart unsullied

While no heart is yet free of darkness?

When every heart holds shades of black?

فَلا تَبْذُلْ هَوَاكَ إِلَى خَلِيلٍ

فَلا تَبْذُلْ هَوَاكَ إِلَى خَلِيلٍ

تَظُنُّ بِهِ الْوَفَاءَ وَلا تُعَادِ

تَظُنُّ بِهِ الْوَفَاءَ وَلا تُعَادِ

So do not lavish your love upon a friend

Do not give your love to a friend

You suppose to be faithful; nor be hostile.

Thinking him true, never to turn back

وَكُنْ مُتَوَسِّطَاً فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ

وَكُنْ مُتَوَسِّطَاً فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ

لِتَأْمَنَ مَا تَخَافُ مِنَ الْعِنَادِ

لِتَأْمَنَ مَا تَخَافُ مِنَ الْعِنَادِ

And be moderate in every circumstance,

In all affairs, keep to the middle way

So you may be safe from the obstinacy you fear.

To be safe from what you fear in obstinacy

مُدَارَاةُ الرِّجَالِ أَخَفُّ وَطْئاً

مُدَارَاةُ الرِّجَالِ أَخَفُّ وَطْئاً

عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ مِنْ حَرْبِ الْفَسادِ

عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ مِنْ حَرْبِ الْفَسادِ

Dealing tactfully with men is lighter in its tread

Dealing gently with men is lighter

Upon a person than waging war on corruption.

Upon a person than promoting vice

يَعِيشُ الْمَرءُ مَحْبُوباً إِذَا مَا

يَعِيشُ الْمَرءُ مَحْبُوباً إِذَا مَا

نَحا في سَيْرِهِ قَصْدَ السَّدادِ

نَحا في سَيْرِهِ قَصْدَ السَّدادِ

A person lives beloved when

One lives beloved if he keeps straight

He aims for rectitude in his conduct.

In his conduct, the right purpose in sight

وَمَا الدُّنْيَا سِوَى عَجْزٍ وحِرْصٍ

وَمَا الدُّنْيَا سِوَى عَجْزٍ وحِرْصٍ

هُما أَصْلُ الْخَلِيقَةِ فِي الْعِبَادِ

هُما أَصْلُ الْخَلِيقَةِ فِي الْعِبَادِ

And the world is nothing but weakness and greed;

The world is but want and greed

They are the root of character in humankind.

The root of man's nature, we see it outright

فَلَوْلا الْعَجْزُ مَا كَانَ التَّصَافِي

فَلَوْلا الْعَجْزُ مَا كَانَ التَّصَافِي

وَلَوْلا الْحِرْصُ ما كَانَ التَّعَادِي

وَلَوْلا الْحِرْصُ ما كَانَ التَّعَادِي

So, without weakness there would be no mutual friendship,

Without want, there'd be no cordiality

And without greed there would be no mutual hostility.

Without greed, there'd be no hostility

وَمَا عَقَدَ الرِّجَالُ الْوُدَّ إِلَّا

وَمَا عَقَدَ الرِّجَالُ الْوُدَّ إِلَّا

لِنَفْعٍ أَوْ لِمَنْعٍ مِنْ تَعَادِي

لِنَفْعٍ أَوْ لِمَنْعٍ مِنْ تَعَادِي

And men have formed bonds of affection only

Men befriend each other only

For gain, or for protection from mutual hostility.

For benefit, or to avoid enmity

وَمَا كَانَ الْعِداءُ يَخِفُّ لَوْلا

وَمَا كَانَ الْعِداءُ يَخِفُّ لَوْلا

أَذَى السُّلْطَانِ أَوْ خَوْفُ المَعَادِ

أَذَى السُّلْطَانِ أَوْ خَوْفُ المَعَادِ

And hostility would not lessen were it not for

Only fear of the Sultan or of consequence

Harm from the ruler, or fear of the Hereafter.

Keeps hatred from boiling point, we can see

فَيَا بْنَ أَبِي وَلَسْتَ بِهِ وَلَكِنْ

فَيَا بْنَ أَبِي وَلَسْتَ بِهِ وَلَكِنْ

كِلانَا زَرْعُ أَرضٍ لِلْحصَادِ

كِلانَا زَرْعُ أَرضٍ لِلْحصَادِ

So, O son of my father—though you are not his son—yet

Although not son of Abu, art yet like me

We are both crops of earth, meant for harvest.

Both of us plants for the harvest to be

تَأَمَّلْ هَلْ تَرَى أَثَرَاً فَإِنِّي

تَأَمَّلْ هَلْ تَرَى أَثَرَاً فَإِنِّي

أَرَى الآثَارَ تَذْهَبُ كَالرَّمَادِ

أَرَى الآثَارَ تَذْهَبُ كَالرَّمَادِ

Reflect: do you see a trace? For I

Look, can you see any trace, for I

See traces vanish like ashes.

See all traces vanish like ashes in breeze

حَيَاةُ الْمَرْءِ في الدُّنْيَا خَيَالٌ

حَيَاةُ الْمَرْءِ في الدُّنْيَا خَيَالٌ

وَعَاقِبَةُ الأُمُورِ إِلَى نَفَادِ

وَعَاقِبَةُ الأُمُورِ إِلَى نَفَادِ

A person's life in this world is a phantom,

A person's life in this world is mirage

And all things ultimately come to an end.

And all things come to end, none will last, we foresee

فَطُوبَى لامْرِئٍ غَلَبَتْ هَوَاهُ

فَطُوبَى لامْرِئٍ غَلَبَتْ هَوَاهُ

بَصِيرَتُهُ فَبَاتَ عَلَى رَشَادِ

بَصِيرَتُهُ فَبَاتَ عَلَى رَشَادِ

Blessed, then, is the man whose desire is overcome

Happy the one who defeats his passion

By his insight, so he passes the night rightly guided.

With wisdom, and so lives rightly guided