بَادِرhasten to seize الْفُرْصَةَthe opportunity وَاحْذَرْand beware of فَوْتَهَاits passing
بَادِر الْفُرْصَةَ وَاحْذَرْ فَوْتَهَا
فَبُلُوغُfor attaining الْعِزِّhonor فيin نَيْلِseizing الْفُرَصْopportunities
فَبُلُوغُ الْعِزِّ في نَيْلِ الْفُرَصْ
Hasten to seize the opportunity, and beware of missing it;
Seize the opportunity and beware missing it
For honor is attained by seizing opportunities.
For attaining glory lies in seizing chances
وَاغْتَنِمْand make the most of عُمْرَكَyour life إِبَّانَduring الصِّبَاyouth
وَاغْتَنِمْ عُمْرَكَ إِبَّانَ الصِّبَا
فَهْوَfor it إِنْif زَادَlengthens مَعَwith الشَّيْبِgray hair نَقَصْdwindles
فَهْوَ إِنْ زَادَ مَعَ الشَّيْبِ نَقَصْ
And make the most of your life in the season of youth,
Make the most of your youth during adolescence
For even if it lengthens with gray hair, it dwindles.
For if it lasts with old age it suffers loss
إِنَّمَاonly الدُّنْيَاthe world خَيَالٌan illusion عَارِضٌpassing
إِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا خَيَالٌ عَارِضٌ
قَلَّمَاseldom يَبْقَىlasts وَأَخْبَارٌand tales تُقَصْare told
قَلَّمَا يَبْقَى وَأَخْبَارٌ تُقَصْ
The world is only a passing illusion
Verily this world is a fleeting mirage
That seldom lasts, and tales that are told.
That rarely stays, with stories to recount
تَارَةًat times تَدْجُوgrows dark وَطَوْراًand at other times تَنْجَلِيclears
تَارَةً تَدْجُو وَطَوْراً تَنْجَلِي
عَادَةُthe way of الظِّلِّthe shadow سَجَاsettled ثُمَّthen قَلَصْshrank
عَادَةُ الظِّلِّ سَجَا ثُمَّ قَلَصْ
At times it darkens, and at others it clears,
At times it flows and at others it recedes
Like the shadow, which settles, then shrinks.
The wont of shade, it stretches then shrinks
فَابْتَدِرْso hasten مَسْعَاكَyour endeavor وَاعْلَمْand know أَنَّthat مَنْwhoever
فَابْتَدِرْ مَسْعَاكَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَنْ
بَادَرَhastened after الصَّيْدَgame مَعَwith الْفَجْرِthe dawn قَنَصْcaught prey
بَادَرَ الصَّيْدَ مَعَ الْفَجْرِ قَنَصْ
So hasten in your striving, and know that whoever
So take advantage of your hearing, and know that he
Hastens after game at dawn makes a catch.
Who rose at dawn to hunt, gained success
لَنْwill not يَنَالَattain الْمَرْءُa person بِالْعَجْزِthrough helplessness الْمُنَىwishes
لَنْ يَنَالَ الْمَرْءُ بِالْعَجْزِ الْمُنَى
إِنَّمَاonly الْفَوْزُsuccess لِمَنْfor whoever هَمَّresolved فَنَصْthen pressed ahead
إِنَّمَا الْفَوْزُ لِمَنْ هَمَّ فَنَصْ
No one will attain their wishes through helplessness;
No man attains his goal through frustration
Success is only for those who resolve and press ahead.
For triumph is only for one who aspires
يَكْدَحُtoils الْعَاقِلُthe wise person فِيin مَأْمَنِهِhis safe haven
يَكْدَحُ الْعَاقِلُ فِي مَأْمَنِهِ
فَإِذاthen when ضَاقَgrew difficult بِهِfor him الأَمْرُthe situation شَخَصْdeparted
فَإِذا ضَاقَ بِهِ الأَمْرُ شَخَصْ
The wise man toils in his safe haven;
The wise man toils in the place of his refuge
Then, when his situation grows difficult, he departs.
And when matters constrict him, he departs
إِنَّindeed ذَاone possessing الْحَاجَةِneed مَاas long as لَمْnot يَغْتَرِبْtravels away
إِنَّ ذَا الْحَاجَةِ مَا لَمْ يَغْتَرِبْ
عَنْfrom حِماهُhis protected domain مِثْلُlike طَيْرa bird فيin قَفَصْa cage
عَنْ حِماهُ مِثْلُ طَيْر في قَفَصْ
Indeed, a man in need, unless he ventures away
Indeed, the needy one, as long as he remains
From his own domain, is like a bird in a cage.
In his protector's care, is like a caged bird
وَلْيَكُنْand let be سَعْيُكَyour striving مَجْداًglory كُلُّهُall of it
وَلْيَكُنْ سَعْيُكَ مَجْداً كُلُّهُ
إِنَّindeed مَرْعىthe pasture of الشَّرِّevil مَكْرُوهٌloathsome أَحَصْbarren
إِنَّ مَرْعى الشَّرِّ مَكْرُوهٌ أَحَصْ
And let all your striving be for glory;
And let your effort be wholly honorable
Indeed, evil's pasture is loathsome and barren.
For the pasture of evil is hated indeed
وَاتْرُكِand abandon الْحِرْصَgreed تَعِشْyou will live فِيin رَاحَةٍease
وَاتْرُكِ الْحِرْصَ تَعِشْ فِي رَاحَةٍ
قَلَّمَاseldom نَالَattained مُنَاهُhis wishes مَنْwhoever حَرَصْwas greedy
قَلَّمَا نَالَ مُنَاهُ مَنْ حَرَصْ
And abandon greed; you will live at ease.
And leave greed to live in comfort
Seldom does one who is greedy attain his wishes.
Rarely attains his purpose he who covets
قَدْmay يَضُرُّharm الشَّيءُa thing تَرْجُوyou hope for نَفْعَهُits benefit
قَدْ يَضُرُّ الشَّيءُ تَرْجُو نَفْعَهُ
رُبَّmany a ظَمْآنَthirsty person بِصَفْوِon the clear part of الْمَاءِthe water غَصْchoked
رُبَّ ظَمْآنَ بِصَفْوِ الْمَاءِ غَصْ
A thing whose benefit you hope for may harm you;
That which you hope will benefit you
Many a thirsty person has choked on clear water.
May sometimes harm, many choked from pure water
مَيِّزِdistinguish الأَشْيَاءَthings تَعْرِفْyou will know قَدْرَهَاtheir worth
مَيِّزِ الأَشْيَاءَ تَعْرِفْ قَدْرَهَا
لَيْسَتِis not الْغُرَّةُa white forehead blaze مِنْof جِنْسِthe kind of الْبَرَصْvitiligo
لَيْسَتِ الْغُرَّةُ مِنْ جِنْسِ الْبَرَصْ
Distinguish things, and you will know their worth;
Distinguish between things to know their value
A white forehead blaze is not the same as vitiligo.
Innocence is not like leprosy
وَاجْتَنِبْand avoid كُلَّevery غَبِيِّdull-witted person مَائِقٍfoolish
وَاجْتَنِبْ كُلَّ غَبِيِّ مَائِقٍ
فَهْوَfor he كَالْعَيْرِlike an ass إِذَاwhen جَدَّexerted himself قَمَصْbucked
فَهْوَ كَالْعَيْرِ إِذَا جَدَّ قَمَصْ
And shun every dull-witted fool;
And avoid every foolish transgressor
For he is like an ass: when he exerts himself, he bucks.
For he is like a camel, if he runs, he stumbles
إِنَّمَاonly الْجَاهِلُthe ignorant person فِيin الْعَيْنِthe eye قَذَىًgrit
إِنَّمَا الْجَاهِلُ فِي الْعَيْنِ قَذَىً
حَيْثُمَاwherever كَانَhe is وَفِيand in الصَّدْرِthe breast غَصَصْchoking anguish
حَيْثُمَا كَانَ وَفِي الصَّدْرِ غَصَصْ
The ignorant man is only grit in the eye,
Verily the ignorant are but motes in the eye
Wherever he is, and choking anguish in the breast.
Wherever they are, and spears in the chest
وَاحْذَرِand beware of النَّمَّامَthe talebearer تَأْمَنْyou will be safe from كَيْدَهُhis plots
وَاحْذَرِ النَّمَّامَ تَأْمَنْ كَيْدَهُ
فَهْوَfor he كَالْبُرْغُوثِlike a flea إِنْif دَبَّcrawled قَرَصْbit
فَهْوَ كَالْبُرْغُوثِ إِنْ دَبَّ قَرَصْ
And beware the talebearer; you will be safe from his plots.
And beware the gossip, to be safe from his plots
For he is like a flea: if it crawls, it bites.
For he is a flea, if he bites, he stings
يَرْقُبُwatches for الشَّرَّevil فَإِنْthen if لاحَتْappeared لَهُto him
يَرْقُبُ الشَّرَّ فَإِنْ لاحَتْ لَهُ
فُرْصَةٌan opportunity تَصْلُحُis suited لِلْخَتْلِfor deceit فَرَصْbit
فُرْصَةٌ تَصْلُحُ لِلْخَتْلِ فَرَصْ
He watches for evil; if there appears to him
He watches for evil, and if he spies
An opening fit for deceit, he bites.
An opportunity fit for backstabbing, he dances
سَاكِنُstill الأَطْرَافِthe limbs إِلَّاexcept أَنَّهُthat he
سَاكِنُ الأَطْرَافِ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ
إِنْif رَأَىsaw مَنْشَبَa hold for أُظْفُورٍa fingernail رَقَصْdanced
إِنْ رَأَى مَنْشَبَ أُظْفُورٍ رَقَصْ
He is still of limb, except that
Still of limb unless he sees the claws
If he sees a place to sink a fingernail, he dances.
Of a vicious cat, then he prances
وَاخْتَبِرْand test مَنْwhomever شِئْتَyou wish تَعْرِفهُyou will know him فَمَاfor no one
وَاخْتَبِرْ مَنْ شِئْتَ تَعْرِفهُ فَمَا
يَعْرِفُknows الأَخْلاقَcharacter إِلَّاexcept مَنْwhoever فَحَصْexamined
يَعْرِفُ الأَخْلاقَ إِلَّا مَنْ فَحَصْ
And test whomever you wish; you will know him, for none
And test whoever you wish, to know them
Knows character except one who has examined it.
For none knows character but he who probes
هَذِهِthis حِكْمَةُthe wisdom of كَهْلٍa middle-aged man خَابِرٍexperienced
هَذِهِ حِكْمَةُ كَهْلٍ خَابِرٍ
فَاقْتَنِصْهَاso capture it فَهِيَfor it is نِعْمَexcellent الْمُقْتَنَصْthe catch
فَاقْتَنِصْهَا فَهِيَ نِعْمَ الْمُقْتَنَصْ
This is the wisdom of an experienced middle-aged man;
Such is the wisdom of an experienced elder
So capture it, for it is an excellent catch.
So glean it, for it is a fine harvest
Sol 6.1