قَلِيلٌ مَنْ يَدُومُ عَلَى الْوِدَادِ

فَلا تَحْفِلْ بِقُرْبٍ أَوْ بِعَادِ

Few are those who keep affection long

So care not whether one's near or far

إِذَا كَانَ التَّغَيُّرُ فِي اللَّيَالِي

فَكَيْفَ يَدُومُ وُدٌّ فِي فُؤَادِ

When nights themselves are fickle

How can love in the heart endure?

وَمَنْ لَكَ أَنْ تَرَى قَلْبَاً نَقِيَّاً

وَلَمَّا يَخْلُ قَلْبٌ مِنْ سَوَادِ

Who are you to expect a heart unsullied

When every heart holds shades of black?

فَلا تَبْذُلْ هَوَاكَ إِلَى خَلِيلٍ

تَظُنُّ بِهِ الْوَفَاءَ وَلا تُعَادِ

Do not give your love to a friend

Thinking him true, never to turn back

وَكُنْ مُتَوَسِّطَاً فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ

لِتَأْمَنَ مَا تَخَافُ مِنَ الْعِنَادِ

In all affairs, keep to the middle way

To be safe from what you fear in obstinacy

مُدَارَاةُ الرِّجَالِ أَخَفُّ وَطْئاً

عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ مِنْ حَرْبِ الْفَسادِ

Dealing gently with men is lighter

Upon a person than promoting vice

يَعِيشُ الْمَرءُ مَحْبُوباً إِذَا مَا

نَحا في سَيْرِهِ قَصْدَ السَّدادِ

One lives beloved if he keeps straight

In his conduct, the right purpose in sight

وَمَا الدُّنْيَا سِوَى عَجْزٍ وحِرْصٍ

هُما أَصْلُ الْخَلِيقَةِ فِي الْعِبَادِ

The world is but want and greed

The root of man's nature, we see it outright

فَلَوْلا الْعَجْزُ مَا كَانَ التَّصَافِي

وَلَوْلا الْحِرْصُ ما كَانَ التَّعَادِي

Without want, there'd be no cordiality

Without greed, there'd be no hostility

وَمَا عَقَدَ الرِّجَالُ الْوُدَّ إِلَّا

لِنَفْعٍ أَوْ لِمَنْعٍ مِنْ تَعَادِي

Men befriend each other only

For benefit, or to avoid enmity

وَمَا كَانَ الْعِداءُ يَخِفُّ لَوْلا

أَذَى السُّلْطَانِ أَوْ خَوْفُ المَعَادِ

Only fear of the Sultan or of consequence

Keeps hatred from boiling point, we can see

فَيَا بْنَ أَبِي وَلَسْتَ بِهِ وَلَكِنْ

كِلانَا زَرْعُ أَرضٍ لِلْحصَادِ

Although not son of Abu, art yet like me

Both of us plants for the harvest to be

تَأَمَّلْ هَلْ تَرَى أَثَرَاً فَإِنِّي

أَرَى الآثَارَ تَذْهَبُ كَالرَّمَادِ

Look, can you see any trace, for I

See all traces vanish like ashes in breeze

حَيَاةُ الْمَرْءِ في الدُّنْيَا خَيَالٌ

وَعَاقِبَةُ الأُمُورِ إِلَى نَفَادِ

A person's life in this world is mirage

And all things come to end, none will last, we foresee

فَطُوبَى لامْرِئٍ غَلَبَتْ هَوَاهُ

بَصِيرَتُهُ فَبَاتَ عَلَى رَشَادِ

Happy the one who defeats his passion

With wisdom, and so lives rightly guided