المَرءُ يَجمَعُ وَالزَمانُ يُفرق

وَيَظل يَرقع وَالخطوب تمزق

Man collects while time disperses

And continues mending while calamities tear apart

وَلَأن يُعادي عاقِلاً خَير لَهُ

مِن أَن يَكون لَهُ صَديق أَحمَق

And it is better for him to make an enemy of a reasonable man

Than to have a stupid friend

فَاِربَأ بِنَفسِكَ أَن تصادِق احْمَقاً

إِن الصديقَ عَلى الصَديقِ مُصَدِّق

So refrain from befriending a fool

For a friend confirms a friend

وَزن الكَلامِ اِذا نَطَقت فَإِنَّما

يُبدي عُقول ذَوي العُقولِ المنطِق

The weight of words when you speak

Reveals the minds of those with sound minds

وَمن الرِجالِ اِذا اِستَوَت اِخلاقُهُم

مِن يُستَشارُ اِذا اِستَشيرَ فَيَطرق

And of men when their morals are equal

Who is consulted when asked gives thought

حَتّى يَخل بِكُلِّ واد قَلبَه

فَيَرى وَيعرف ما يَقول فيَنطُق

Until he reflects with his whole heart

And sees and knows what to say and speaks

فَبِذاكَ يوثق كُل أَمر مُطلَق

وَبِذاكَ يُطلق كل أَمر موثق

With that every absolute matter is confirmed

And with that every confirmed matter is absolved

لا أَلفينَك ثاوِياً في غُربَة

إِن الغَريب بِكُلِّ سَهم يُرشَق

I do not wish you to remain lost in exile

For the exile is struck by every arrow

ما الناسُ إِلّا عامِلانِ فَعامِل

قَد ماتَ مِن عَطَش واخر يَغرَق

People are but two kinds: one has died of thirst

While the other drowns

وَإِذا اِمرُؤ لَسَعَتهُ أَفعى مَرَّة

تَرَكَتهُ حينَ يَجر حَبل يفرق

And if a man is stung once by a snake

It leaves him when he pulls the rope apart

وَالناسُ في طَلَبِ المَعاشِ وَإِنَّما

بِالجِد يُرزَقُ مِنهُم مَن يُرزَق

And people seek livelihood, and only

Through effort are those sustained who are sustained

لَو يُرزَقونَ الناسَ حسب عُقولُهُم

أَلفيت أكثَر من تَرى يَتَصَدَّق

If people were sustained according to their minds

I would find most whom you see giving charity

لكِنَّهُ فَضل المَليكِ عَلَيهِم

هذا عَلَيهِ موسِع وَمضيق

But it is the King’s grace upon them

Expansive upon some and narrow upon others

وِاِذا الجَناَة وَالعَروسُ تَلاقيا

وَرَأَيت دَمع نَوائِح يَترقرق

And when the funeral and the bride meet

And you see the tears of grieving flowing

سَكت الَّذي تَبع العَروس مبهَتاً

وَرَأَيت مِن تَبع الجَنازَةِ يَنطق

Those who followed the bride fell silent in reverence

While those who followed the casket spoke

بَقي الأولى إِما يَقولوا يَكذبوا

وَمَضى الأَولى ما يَقولوا يصدقوا

The first passed while they say, lying

And the first passed while they say, truthful

إِن الأَريبَ اِذا تفكر لَم يَكد

يَخفى عَلَيهِ مِن الاِمورِ الأَوفَق

When the perceptive ponders, he can barely

Fail to see the most proper of matters

فَهناكَ تَشعب ما تَفاقَم صدقه

وَيداكَ ترتق كل اِمر يَفتق

There multifaceted truth branches out

And your hands rise to every intricate matter

وَاِذا اِستَشَرت ذَوي العُقولِ فَخَيرُهُم

عِند المَشورَةِ من يَحن وَيشفق

And when you consult the wise, the best of them

Is the most compassionate in consultation

لَو سارَ الف مدجَج في حاجَة

لَم يَقضِها إِلّا الَّذي يَترفق

If a thousand heavily laden camels traveled in need

None would fulfil it but the gentle one

إِن التَرَفُّق لِلمُقيمِ موافق

وَاِذا يُسافِر فَالتَرَفُّق أَوفَق

Gentleness suits the resident

And when traveling, gentleness is most suited