اللَهُ أَكرَمُ مَن يُناجى
وَالمَرءُ إِن داجَيتَ داجى
God honors whoever whispers to Him,
And man, if you whisper to Him, whispers back.
وَالمَرءُ لَيسَ بِمُعظِمٍ
شَيئاً يُقَضّي مِنهُ حاجا
Man cannot value highly
A thing that fulfills his needs.
كَدَرُ الصَفاءِ مِنَ الصَدي
قِ فَما تَرى إِلّا مِزاجا
The calm is troubled by discord,
So you see only a mixture.
وَإِذا الأُمورُ تَزاوَجَت
فَالصَبرُ أَكرَمُها نِتاجا
When matters are interwoven,
Patience is the noblest result.
وَالصِدقُ يَعقِدُ فَوقَ رَأ
سِ حَليفِهِ لِلبِرِّ تاجا
Truth crowns the head
Of its ally, righteousness, with a crown.
وَالصِدقُ يَثقُبُ زَندُهُ
في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ سِراجا
Truth pierces its arrows
In every direction, lamps.
وَلَرُبَّما صَدَعَ الصَفا
وَلَرُبَّما شَعَبَ الزُجاجا
It may crack etiquette at times
Or split hypocrisy at times.
يَأبى المُعَلَّقُ بِالهَوى
إِلّا رَواحاً وَادِّلاجا
The one hanging on to passion
Wants only winds and darkness.
اِرفُق فَعُمرُكَ عودُ ذي
أَوَدٍ رَأَيتُ لَهُ اعوِجاجا
Be gentle, your life is a green branch
I saw crookedness in.
وَالمَوتُ يَختَلِجُ النُفو
سَ وَإِن سَهَت عَنهُ اختِلاجا
Death convulses souls
Even if its convulsion is slight.
اِجعَل مُعَرَّجَكَ التَكَرُّ
مَ ما وَجَدتَ لَهُ انعِراجا
Make your ascent rejection
Of what you found crooked.
يا رُبَّ بَرقٍ شِمتُهُ
عادَت مَخيلَتُهُ عَجاجا
O Lord of lightning I sensed
Whose idea came back confused.
وَلَرُبَّ عَذبٍ صارَ بَع
دَ عُذوبَةٍ مِلحاً أُجاجا
Many a sweet that after sweetness
Became bitter, effervescent.
وَلَرُبَّ أَخلاقٍ حِسا
نٍ عُدنَ أَخلاقاً سِماجا
Many fine morals
Became, when old, coarse morals.
هَوِّن عَلَيكَ مَضايِقَ الد
ُنيا تَعُد سُبُلاً فِجاجا
Lessen the squeezes of the world for you,
Making ways out of passes.
لا تَضجَرَنَّ لِضيقَةٍ
يَوماً فَإِنَّ لَها انفِراجا
Don't fret from the narrowness of a day,
It will have an outlet.
مَن عاجَ مِن شَيءٍ إِلى
شَيءٍ فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعاجا
Who suffers from something to something
Will find relief.
