وَلا تُنسَب إِلى كِبر فَهَذا
أَبوك الترب يَخفِضُك اِنتِسابا
Do not attribute yourself to grandeur, for this
Do not attribute yourself to pride, for behold,
Your father, the soil, makes you of low descent
Your father is the dust, which humbles your lineage.
وَلا تَصحَب أَخا كِبرٍ وَقدِّم
عَلى النَفس الأَعادِيَ وَالصِحابا
Do not befriend an arrogant brother, and put
Do not keep company with the arrogant, and prefer
Your own self before enemies and friends
Both enemies and companions over your own self.
وَلا تُحبِب مُحاباةً بِمَدح
كَفى بِالمَرء حوباً أَن يُحابى
Do not love to be flattered with praise
Do not love to be favored with praise;
It suffices a man to love to be loved
It is sin enough for a man to be the object of favoritism.
وَحاذر أَن تُرى في القَوم رَأساً
وَلا تَنسَ الذُنوب وَكُن ذُنابا
And beware appearing superior among the people
Beware of being seen as a leader among the people;
Do not forget sins, and be sinful
Do not forget your sins, and remain a follower.
تُراباً كُن هُنا فَعَساك أَن لا
تَمَنّى أَن تَكون غَداً تُرابا
Be dust here, perhaps then you will not
Be as dust here, so that perhaps you will not
Wish tomorrow to again be dust
Wish that you were dust on the Day of Tomorrow.
