وغرّة مرّةٍ من فعل غرٍ

وغرّة مرّةٍ من فعل غرٍ

وغرّة مرّتينِ فعالُ موقِ

وغرّة مرّتينِ فعالُ موقِ

And being deceived once is the act of an inexperienced person;

One slip from virtue is no great fall,

and being deceived twice is the conduct of a fool.

But slip twice, and you cannot stand at all.

فلا تفرح بأمرٍ قد تولى

فلا تفرح بأمرٍ قد تولى

ولا تأيس من الأمرِ السحيقِ

ولا تأيس من الأمرِ السحيقِ

So do not rejoice over something that has already passed,

Do not rejoice too much at rising fortune,

and do not despair of what is far away.

Nor weep too much at troubles when they befall.

فأنَّ القربَ يبعدُ بعدَ قربٍ

فأنَّ القربَ يبعدُ بعدَ قربٍ

ويدنو البعدُ بالقدَرِ المسوقِ

ويدنو البعدُ بالقدَرِ المسوقِ

For what is near grows distant after being near,

For nearness leads to farness in the end,

and what is distant draws near through fate's onward course.

And farness brings you near, as fate does call.

ومن لم يتقِ الضحضاحَ زلت

ومن لم يتقِ الضحضاحَ زلت

به قدماه في البحرِ العميقِ

به قدماه في البحرِ العميقِ

And whoever does not beware the shallows—his feet slip

Who does not heed the ground beneath his feet

beneath him into the deep sea.

May slip and fall into the deep sea's maw.

وَما اِكتَسَبَ المَحامِدَ طالِبوها

وَما اِكتَسَبَ المَحامِدَ طالِبوها

بِمِثلِ البِشرِ وَالوَجهِ الطَليقِ

بِمِثلِ البِشرِ وَالوَجهِ الطَليقِ

And those who seek praise have never earned it so well

And they who seek for glory and renown

as through cheerfulness and an open, smiling face.

Must earn it not through smiles but sweat and toil.