وهبتك النصح لو طاوعت من نصحا — Alluah

I offered you counsel, if only you would heed one who counseled you.

For I have given you the pure essence of my counsel.

I enjoin you to fear God, so fear Him;

you will prosper when you attain success at the final standing.

And your parents: I enjoin you to honor them both;

be angry when they are angry, and pardon when they pardon.

Their pleasure is part of the Creator's pleasure with you; if

you anger them, your provocation will bring you sorrow.

Seek knowledge diligently, even if in China,

and delve deeply into it with a mind immersed and bowed beneath its weight.

The first field of learning is teaching the Qur'an, for in

its teaching every path of guidance becomes clear.

So pursue it eagerly, do not grow weary, and be perceptive;

be a servant to your teacher, and be gracious.

A teacher does not give sincere counsel unless he is pleased;

know that if you please him, he will counsel you sincerely.

When you complete it, perfect its recitation so you may retain it,

and persevere in study at evening and forenoon.

Keep to the congregation in God's house, awaiting

the obligatory prayers there, and let your tears pour forth.

Turn to the pursuit of medical knowledge, since through it

the mind, bearer of moral responsibility, and activity are set right.

Take enough grammar to suffice, and learn language,

so you become eloquent, a spokesman among the eloquent.

Then the foundations—the foundations of religion—and then take

the root of the branches and the branch of the root, with an open heart.

Of the sciences that remain, take whatever you can,

and do not grow impatient with them or exhausted.

Stay joined to people of piety and knowledge,

and keep far from the people of ignorance, severing the rope.

Befriend one of knowledge and piety, and be discerning

about what he imparts to you, and retain everything he explains.

People of learning are stars by which one finds light

when ignorance's night gathers thick and spreads out.

In their gathering you find good things present,

and reason, light, proof, and gifts.

Be one of them wherever they may be, with confidence;

cut off others, and choose what weighs heavier in the balance.

For a person will be gathered with those he has loved, so be

among the righteous, and meet God reconciled.

Everyone brought near to God draws near

to them; whoever distances himself from them has gone far away.

It is said that a person's companion resembles him;

so choose what is good for yourself, if you are granted success.

Indeed, if you befriend the forbearing, there will waft

to you his qualities, like the fragrance of incense.

But if you befriend a base man, tainted are

his ways; if you improve him, he turns ugly.

Oppose the forbearing, but do not befriend a fool;

far from it! The foolish and stupid are not like the righteous.

Do not trust the reckless fool's counsel;

how often, through him, a millstone has turned upon a friend's head!

Whoever befriends a babbling fool is left in

a sea of ignorance that drowns him, even if he swims.

Beware of brotherhood with one who, even if you wished to counsel him,

would not turn aside from his ignorance; stay far from him.

Indeed, merchandise is not brought to its fair

except to be sold, or for its owner to profit.

Console yourself over what has proved beyond reach,

and do not rejoice at the growth of your possessions.

If you are able to perform a good deed,

hasten, and oppose him—Satan—and affliction.

If the door of evil presents itself shut,

leave it so; close it if it meets you open.

If you are entrusted with secrets, be an ear

deaf, as though it had heard none of what was explained at the time.

If you sit in an assembly, be a mountain there;

if people call you, be lightning flashing in an instant.

If you are silent, be thoughtful; and when

you speak, let charming words issue from you.

It is said that a person's speech is his lineage:

a vessel seeps what it holds within.

Meet your guest open-faced and smiling,

even if the face of time scowls grimly.

For the generous man has traits by which he is recognized:

when asked, he gives, and does not remind others of his favors when generous.

Bear patiently the choking sorrows of this world, and be steadfast;

many a cloud has vanished and cleared before giving rain.

I am a man who has come to know time well,

through eating and drinking, through what is heard and glimpsed.

I have milked the days' teats,

and struck time's fire-sticks, which have sparked.

So I almost know what their hearts have concealed,

and if I wished to speak plainly of them, it would be laid bare.

Their world is carrion; I have scented it where it lies,

and the best of them is a dog barking around it.

So seek God's help to do without them; fear Him, relying

on Him, and you will succeed—what a triumph for one who succeeds!

I have counseled you, O pure-hearted one; how many

a counselor has needed counsel more than you, if only he were counseled!

A blind man guided you, though the path of guidance was clear,

then fell into the abyss of harm and was disgraced.

O Lord, Your pardon! My reward is not readily granted;

only through Your kindness does the matter become easy.

So pardon the sinful offender, for You have

the strongest claim on him, and are worthiest of all who give and are generous.