إِن كُنتَ لا تَرهَبُ ذَمّي لِما

إِن كُنتَ لا تَرهَبُ ذَمّي لِما

تَعلَمُ مِن صَفحي عَنِ الجاهِلِ

تَعلَمُ مِن صَفحي عَنِ الجاهِلِ

If you do not fear my censure because of what

If you are not appalled by my blame

You know of my forbearance toward the ignorant,

Since you know my pages are free of ignorance

فَاِخشَ سُكوتي إِذ أَنا مُنصِتٌ

فَاِخشَ سُكوتي إِذ أَنا مُنصِتٌ

فيكَ لِمَسموعِ خَنا القائِلِ

فيكَ لِمَسموعِ خَنا القائِلِ

Then fear my silence when I listen

Then fear my silence, as I listen

To the speaker's foul words about you.

To the slander from the speaker within you

فَسامِعُ الشَرِّ شَريكٌ لَهُ

فَسامِعُ الشَرِّ شَريكٌ لَهُ

وَمُطعِمُ المَأكولِ كَالآكِلِ

وَمُطعِمُ المَأكولِ كَالآكِلِ

For the hearer of evil is a partner in it,

For the listener of evil is its partner

And the giver of food is like the eater.

And the feeder of food is like the eater

مَقالَةُ السوءِ إِلى أَهلِها

مَقالَةُ السوءِ إِلى أَهلِها

أَسرَعُ مِن مُنحَدَرٍ سائِلِ

أَسرَعُ مِن مُنحَدَرٍ سائِلِ

An evil saying reaches those it concerns

The utterance of evil to its people

Faster than a stream flowing downhill.

Is faster than a flowing slope

وَمَن دَعا الناسَ إِلى ذَمِّهِ

وَمَن دَعا الناسَ إِلى ذَمِّهِ

ذَمّوهُ بِالحَقِّ وَبِالباطِلِ

ذَمّوهُ بِالحَقِّ وَبِالباطِلِ

And whoever invites people to censure him,

And whoever invites people to blame him

They censure him with truth and with falsehood.

They blame him rightfully and wrongfully

فَلا تَهِج إِن كُنتَ ذا إِربَةٍ

فَلا تَهِج إِن كُنتَ ذا إِربَةٍ

حَربَ أَخي التَجرِبَةِ الغافِلِ

حَربَ أَخي التَجرِبَةِ الغافِلِ

So do not stir up, if you have good sense,

So do not get angry if you are prone to outbursts

War with the unsuspecting man of experience.

Waging war on my oblivious brother of experience

فَإِنَّ ذا العَقلِ إِذا هَيَّجتَهُ

فَإِنَّ ذا العَقلِ إِذا هَيَّجتَهُ

هِجتَ بِهِ ذا خَبَلٍ خابِلِ

هِجتَ بِهِ ذا خَبَلٍ خابِلِ

For if you provoke a man of reason,

For the rational one, if you provoke him

You rouse in him a man of ruinous madness.

You provoke with him one of fading folly

تُبصِرُ بِهِ في عاجِلٍ شَدّاتِهِ

تُبصِرُ بِهِ في عاجِلٍ شَدّاتِهِ

عَلَيكَ غِبَّ الضَرَرِ الآجِلِ

عَلَيكَ غِبَّ الضَرَرِ الآجِلِ

You will see in his swift assaults

You see through him in the present, his severity

Upon you the consequences of harm yet to come.

Upon you, the latent harm of the postponed