جالِس عَدُوَّكَ تَعرِف مَن تُكاتِمُهُ

يَبدو القِلى في حَديثِ القَومِ وَالمُقَلِ

You know who you are confiding in when sitting with your enemy

Ill-will appears in people's talk though they pretend

وَالشَرُّ في حَيوانِ الأَرضِ مُفتَرِقٌ

وَالإِنسِ كَالوَحشِ مِن ضارٍ وَمُبتَقِلِ

Evil in earth's creatures is widespread

And humans are like beasts, some harmful, some docile

يَجري القَضاءُ فَيُهدي العيسَ كارِهَةً

إِلى الضَراغِمِ في الأَقيادِ وَالعُقُلِ

Fate takes its course, dragging the reluctant stallion

To shackles and reins against its will

فَخالِفِ الناسَ تَرشُد كُلَّما نَطَقوا

فَاِصمُت حَميداً وَإِن هُم أَنصَتوا فَقُلِ

So disagree with people and you will be rightly guided whenever they speak

Stay silent with dignity even if they are quiet, then say:

وَاِطلُب رِضاكَ مِنَ الخِلَّينِ ذي شُطَبٍ

وَمُطلَقِ الحَدِّ في الأَبطالِ مُعتَقَلُ

Seek your own approval from ignoble backbiters

And those who attack heroes while shackled

أَما تَرى الشُهبَ في أَفلاكِها اِنتَقَلَت

بِقُدرَةٍ مِن مَليكٍ غَيرِ مُنتَقِلِ

Don't you see how the meteors in their orbits have moved

By the power of a King who is unmoving?