إِكرَه لِغَيرِكَ ما لِنَفسِكَ تَكرَهُ

وَاِفعَل بِنَفسِكَ فِعلَ مَن يَتَنَزَّهُ

Do not impose on others what you dislike for yourself,

And act with yourself as one dignified acts,

وَاِدفَع بِصَمتِكَ عَنكَ خاطِرَةَ الخَنا

حَذَرَ الجَوابِ فَإِنَّهُ بِكَ أَشبَهُ

Repel with your silence any idea that angers you,

Beware of answering back, for it makes you more like him,

وَكِلِ السَفيهَ إِلى السَفاهَةِ وَاِنتَصِف

بِالحِلمِ أَو بِالصَمتِ مِمَّن يَسفَهُ

Leave the foolish to his folly and take your revenge

With forbearance or silence from him who acts foolishly,

وَدَعِ الفُكاهَةَ بِالمُزاحِ فَإِنَّهُ

يَردى وَيَسخَفُ مَن بِهِ يَتَفَكَّهُ

Avoid jocularity and jesting, for such a person

Will fall and make light of him who jests with him,

وَالصَمتُ لِلمَرءِ الحَليمِ وِقايَةٌ

يَنفي بِها عَن عِرضِهِ ما يَكرَهُ

Silence is a protection for the forbearing man

By which he keeps away from his honor what he dislikes,

لا تَنسَ حِلمَكَ حينَ يَقرَعُكَ الأَذى

مِن كُلِّ مَن يَجني عَلَيكَ وَيَجبَهُ

Do not forget your forbearance when annoyance hurts you

From all who wrong you and treat you with enmity,

فَلَرُبَّما صَبَرَ الحَليمُ عَلى الأَذى

حَتّى يَرى وَكَأَنَّه يَتَدَلَّهُ

For sometimes the forbearing man is patient with annoyance

Until it seems as if he makes light of it,

وَلَرُبَّما حَجَبَ الحَليمُ جَوابَهُ

بِالصَمتِ مِنهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَمُفَوَّهُ

And sometimes the forbearing man veils his answer

With silence though he is eloquent,

وَلَرُبَّما جَمَحَ اسِفاهُ بِذي الحِجا

حَتّى يُذَلِّلُهُ الدَنيءُ الأَسفَهُ

And sometimes he checks the foolishness of the ignorant

Until the vilest makes him feel humble,

وَلَرُبَّما نَسِيَ الوَقورَ وَقارَهُ

حَتّى تَراهُ جاهِلاً يَتَدَهدَهُ

And sometimes the dignified forgets his dignity

Until you see him foolishly shaking to and fro,

وَلَرُبَّما نَهنَهتَ عَنكَ ذَوي الخَنا

بِالصَمتِ إِلّا أَحجَموا وَتَنَهنَهوا

And sometimes those who bear you enmity

Fall silent from you if they are shamed and feel timid,

إِنَّ الحَليمَ عَنِ الأَذى مُتَحَجِّبٌ

وَعَنِ الخَنا مُتَوَفِّرٌ مُتَنَزِّهُ

Verily the forbearing man keeps away from annoyance

And from enmity remains aloof and dignified,

وَالبَغيُ يَصرَعُ أَهلَهُ وَيُريكَهُم

وَجَميعُهُم مِن صَرعِهِ يَتَأَوَّهُ

Oppression fells its own people and shows them to you

Groaning from its violence and calamity,

إِنَّ الزَمانَ لِأَهلِهِ لَمُؤَدَّبٌ

بِصُروفِهِ وَمُيَقِّظٌ وَمُنَبِّهُ

Verily time disciplines its people

With its vicissitudes, rousing and warning them,

أَفَقِهتَ عَن عِبَرِ الزَمانِ صِفاتِها

هَيهاتَ لَستُ أَراكَ عَنها تَفقَهُ

You are not wise about the lessons of time and its attributes,

Alas, I do not see you becoming wise about them!

وَلَقَد أَراكَ تَعِبتَ في طَلَبِ الغِنى

شَرِهاً وَلَيسَ يَنالُهُ مَن يَشرَهُ

And I see you have wearied yourself seeking wealth

Greedily, though none attains it through greed,

وَأَراكَ في الدُنيا وَأَنتَ مُنازِعٌ

وَمَنافِسٌ وَمُمازِحٌ وَمُقَهقِهُ

And I see you in the world competing,

Rivaling, jesting and laughing foolishly,

قُل لِلَّذينَ تَشَبَّهوا بِذَوي التُقى

لا يَلعَبَنَّ بِنَفسِهِ مُتَشَبِّهُ

Say to those who pretend to be pious:

Let no pretender make light of himself!

هَيهاتَ لا يَخفى التُقى مِن ذي التُقى

هَيهاتَ لا يَخفى اِمرُؤٌ مُتَأَلِّهُ

Alas, piety is not hidden in the God-fearing man,

Alas, the devoted man’s state is not concealed!

إِنَّ القُلوبَ إِذا طَوَت أَسرارَها

أَبدَت لَكَ الأَسرارَ مِنها الأَوجُهُ

When hearts conceal their secrets,

Their faces show you their manifold secrets.