إِن كانَت لَكَ اِمرَأَةٌ حَصانٌ

فَأَنتَ مُحَسَّدٌ بَينَ الفَريقِ

If you have a virtuous wife,

You are envied among the people.

فَإِن جَمَعتَ إِلى الإِحصانِ عَقلاً

فَبورِكَ مُثمِرُ الغُصنِ الوَريقِ

If you add wisdom to virtue,

Blessed is the fruitful branch.

وَلا تَأمَن فَإِنَّ النَفسَ أَضحَت

إِلى النَكراءِ كَالريحِ الخَريقِ

Do not feel secure, for the soul

Is inclined to the unknown like the blowing wind.

وَلا تَجعَل فِناءَكَ مُستَضاماً

بِمُطَلِّعٍ يَكونُ إِلى الطَريقِ

Do not make your home openly accessible

To one who passes by the road.

وَما النَكَباتُ إِلّا مَوجُ بَحرٍ

يَظَلُّ الحَيُّ فيها كَالغَريقِ

Misfortunes are but waves of a sea,

In which the living remains as one drowned.

وَمَن لَم تُشرِقِ الدُنيا بِماءٍ

فَأُقسِمُ أَن سَتُشرِقُهُ بَريقِ

And whoever is not illuminated by the world,

I swear it will illuminate him with lightning.