لا تُصاحِب مِنَ الأَنامِ لَئيماً

لا تُصاحِب مِنَ الأَنامِ لَئيماً

رُبَّما أَفسَدَ الطِباعَ اللَئيمُ

رُبَّما أَفسَدَ الطِباعَ اللَئيمُ

Do not befriend a base person among humankind.

Do not keep company with the wicked;

A base person may corrupt one's character.

Perchance the wicked may corrupt good manners.

فَالهَواءُ البَسيطُ في جَمرَةِ القَي

فَالهَواءُ البَسيطُ في جَمرَةِ القَي

ظِ سَمومٌ وَفي الرَبيعِ نَسيمُ

ظِ سَمومٌ وَفي الرَبيعِ نَسيمُ

For pure air, in the blazing heat of summer,

The air, when hot, is poisonous in summer,

is a scorching wind, and in spring a breeze.

And in spring is gentle and benign.

وَاِبغِ مِنهُم مُجانِساً يوجِبُ الضَم

وَاِبغِ مِنهُم مُجانِساً يوجِبُ الضَم

مَ فَقَد يَصحَبُ الكَريمَ الكَريمُ

مَ فَقَد يَصحَبُ الكَريمَ الكَريمُ

And seek among them a kindred soul who calls for

Seek thou therefore the society of good men, for the contact of the noble with the noble is profitable.

companionship, for the noble may befriend the noble.

Observe how the birds associate together,

وَاِعتَبِر حالَ عالَمِ الطَيرِ طُرّاً

وَاِعتَبِر حالَ عالَمِ الطَيرِ طُرّاً

كُلُّ جِنسٍ مَع جِنسِهِ مَضمومُ

كُلُّ جِنسٍ مَع جِنسِهِ مَضمومُ

And consider the state of the world of birds as a whole:

Every kind with its own kind do they agree.

Each kind is joined with its own kind.