ليسَ خُلُقٌ إلا وفيه إذا ما
وقَعَ الفَحْصُ عَنْهُ خيرٌ وشَرُّ
There is no disposition but, whenever
it is examined, good and evil appear.
لازمٌ ذاك في الجِبِلّةِ لا يد
فَعُهُ من له بِذَلِكَ خُبْرُ
That inheres in nature; not even one
who knows this well can ward it off.
حكمةُ الصانِعِ المُقَدّرِ أن لا
شيءَ إلا وَفِيْهِ نَفْعٌ وَضَرُّ
The wisdom of the Maker, the Ordainer, is that no
thing exists but with both benefit and harm.
فاجتهِدْ أن يكون أكثرُ قِسْمَيْ
كَ من النّفْعِ والأقَلُّ الأضَرُّ
Strive, then, to make the greater of your two
portions benefit, and the lesser harm.
وتحمّلْ مَرَارَةَ الرأي واعْلَمْ
أنّ عُقْبى هواكَ مِنْه أمَرُّ
Bear the bitterness of sound counsel, and know
that the outcome of your desire is bitterer still.
رُضْ بهذا التّدبير نَفْسَكَ وأقصُرْ
ها عليهِ ففيه فَضْلٌ وَفَخْرُ
Train your soul to this governance, and confine
it to it; therein lie virtue and honor.
لا تُطِعْهَا على الذي تَبْتَغِيْهِ
وليرْعَها مِنْكَ اعتسافٌ وَقَهْرُ
Do not obey it in whatever it seeks;
let severity and force from you cow it.
إنّ من شأنِها مجانَبَةَ الخيْ
رِ وإيثارَ كلِّ ما قَدْ يَعُرُّ
Indeed, it is in its nature to shun
the good, and favor all that brings disgrace.
Sol 5.6