المَرءُ يَجمَعُ وَالزَمانُ يُفرق

المَرءُ يَجمَعُ وَالزَمانُ يُفرق

وَيَظل يَرقع وَالخطوب تمزق

وَيَظل يَرقع وَالخطوب تمزق

A man gathers, and time scatters.

Man collects while time disperses

He keeps patching, while calamities tear apart.

And continues mending while calamities tear apart

وَلَأن يُعادي عاقِلاً خَير لَهُ

وَلَأن يُعادي عاقِلاً خَير لَهُ

مِن أَن يَكون لَهُ صَديق أَحمَق

مِن أَن يَكون لَهُ صَديق أَحمَق

And to oppose a wise man is better for him

And it is better for him to make an enemy of a reasonable man

than to have a foolish friend.

Than to have a stupid friend

فَاِربَأ بِنَفسِكَ أَن تصادِق احْمَقاً

فَاِربَأ بِنَفسِكَ أَن تصادِق احْمَقاً

إِن الصديقَ عَلى الصَديقِ مُصَدِّق

إِن الصديقَ عَلى الصَديقِ مُصَدِّق

So hold yourself above befriending a fool;

So refrain from befriending a fool

for a friend attests to his friend's character.

For a friend confirms a friend

وَزن الكَلامِ اِذا نَطَقت فَإِنَّما

وَزن الكَلامِ اِذا نَطَقت فَإِنَّما

يُبدي عُقول ذَوي العُقولِ المنطِق

يُبدي عُقول ذَوي العُقولِ المنطِق

Weigh your words when you speak, for it is

The weight of words when you speak

speech that reveals the minds of those endowed with reason.

Reveals the minds of those with sound minds

وَمن الرِجالِ اِذا اِستَوَت اِخلاقُهُم

وَمن الرِجالِ اِذا اِستَوَت اِخلاقُهُم

مِن يُستَشارُ اِذا اِستَشيرَ فَيَطرق

مِن يُستَشارُ اِذا اِستَشيرَ فَيَطرق

And among men, when their characters are alike,

And of men when their morals are equal

is one sought for counsel who, when consulted, bows his head,

Who is consulted when asked gives thought

حَتّى يَخل بِكُلِّ واد قَلبَه

حَتّى يَخل بِكُلِّ واد قَلبَه

فَيَرى وَيعرف ما يَقول فيَنطُق

فَيَرى وَيعرف ما يَقول فيَنطُق

until he sends his heart through every valley,

Until he reflects with his whole heart

then sees and knows what to say, and speaks.

And sees and knows what to say and speaks

فَبِذاكَ يوثق كُل أَمر مُطلَق

فَبِذاكَ يوثق كُل أَمر مُطلَق

وَبِذاكَ يُطلق كل أَمر موثق

وَبِذاكَ يُطلق كل أَمر موثق

Thus he secures every loose matter,

With that every absolute matter is confirmed

and thus he releases every bound matter.

And with that every confirmed matter is absolved

لا أَلفينَك ثاوِياً في غُربَة

لا أَلفينَك ثاوِياً في غُربَة

إِن الغَريب بِكُلِّ سَهم يُرشَق

إِن الغَريب بِكُلِّ سَهم يُرشَق

Let me never find you dwelling in a foreign land:

I do not wish you to remain lost in exile

the stranger is a target for every arrow.

For the exile is struck by every arrow

ما الناسُ إِلّا عامِلانِ فَعامِل

ما الناسُ إِلّا عامِلانِ فَعامِل

قَد ماتَ مِن عَطَش واخر يَغرَق

قَد ماتَ مِن عَطَش واخر يَغرَق

People are but two kinds of toilers: one

People are but two kinds: one has died of thirst

has died of thirst, while another is drowning.

While the other drowns

وَإِذا اِمرُؤ لَسَعَتهُ أَفعى مَرَّة

وَإِذا اِمرُؤ لَسَعَتهُ أَفعى مَرَّة

تَرَكَتهُ حينَ يَجر حَبل يفرق

تَرَكَتهُ حينَ يَجر حَبل يفرق

And if a man is bitten by a viper once,

And if a man is stung once by a snake

it leaves him afraid even when he pulls a rope.

It leaves him when he pulls the rope apart

وَالناسُ في طَلَبِ المَعاشِ وَإِنَّما

وَالناسُ في طَلَبِ المَعاشِ وَإِنَّما

بِالجِد يُرزَقُ مِنهُم مَن يُرزَق

بِالجِد يُرزَقُ مِنهُم مَن يُرزَق

And people seek their livelihood; it is only

And people seek livelihood, and only

through diligence that those among them granted sustenance receive it.

Through effort are those sustained who are sustained

لَو يُرزَقونَ الناسَ حسب عُقولُهُم

لَو يُرزَقونَ الناسَ حسب عُقولُهُم

أَلفيت أكثَر من تَرى يَتَصَدَّق

أَلفيت أكثَر من تَرى يَتَصَدَّق

If people were provided for according to their intelligence,

If people were sustained according to their minds

you would find most of those you see begging for alms.

I would find most whom you see giving charity

لكِنَّهُ فَضل المَليكِ عَلَيهِم

لكِنَّهُ فَضل المَليكِ عَلَيهِم

هذا عَلَيهِ موسِع وَمضيق

هذا عَلَيهِ موسِع وَمضيق

But it is the Sovereign's bounty upon them:

But it is the King’s grace upon them

this one is granted plenty, and another little.

Expansive upon some and narrow upon others

وِاِذا الجَناَة وَالعَروسُ تَلاقيا

وِاِذا الجَناَة وَالعَروسُ تَلاقيا

وَرَأَيت دَمع نَوائِح يَترقرق

وَرَأَيت دَمع نَوائِح يَترقرق

And when the funeral bier [apparently intended] and the bride meet,

And when the funeral and the bride meet

and you see the mourners' tears glistening,

And you see the tears of grieving flowing

سَكت الَّذي تَبع العَروس مبهَتاً

سَكت الَّذي تَبع العَروس مبهَتاً

وَرَأَيت مِن تَبع الجَنازَةِ يَنطق

وَرَأَيت مِن تَبع الجَنازَةِ يَنطق

the one who followed the bride falls silent, dumbfounded,

Those who followed the bride fell silent in reverence

while you see the one who followed the funeral speaking.

While those who followed the casket spoke

بَقي الأولى إِما يَقولوا يَكذبوا

بَقي الأولى إِما يَقولوا يَكذبوا

وَمَضى الأَولى ما يَقولوا يصدقوا

وَمَضى الأَولى ما يَقولوا يصدقوا

Those remain who, if they speak, lie,

The first passed while they say, lying

and those have passed who speak the truth in whatever they say.

And the first passed while they say, truthful

إِن الأَريبَ اِذا تفكر لَم يَكد

إِن الأَريبَ اِذا تفكر لَم يَكد

يَخفى عَلَيهِ مِن الاِمورِ الأَوفَق

يَخفى عَلَيهِ مِن الاِمورِ الأَوفَق

When the discerning man reflects, scarcely

When the perceptive ponders, he can barely

does the most fitting course of action escape him.

Fail to see the most proper of matters

فَهناكَ تَشعب ما تَفاقَم صدقه

فَهناكَ تَشعب ما تَفاقَم صدقه

وَيداكَ ترتق كل اِمر يَفتق

وَيداكَ ترتق كل اِمر يَفتق

There you mend whatever breach has worsened [reading uncertain],

There multifaceted truth branches out

and your hands stitch up every matter that comes apart.

And your hands rise to every intricate matter

وَاِذا اِستَشَرت ذَوي العُقولِ فَخَيرُهُم

وَاِذا اِستَشَرت ذَوي العُقولِ فَخَيرُهُم

عِند المَشورَةِ من يَحن وَيشفق

عِند المَشورَةِ من يَحن وَيشفق

And when you consult men of reason, the best of them

And when you consult the wise, the best of them

in counsel is the one who feels tenderness and compassion.

Is the most compassionate in consultation

لَو سارَ الف مدجَج في حاجَة

لَو سارَ الف مدجَج في حاجَة

لَم يَقضِها إِلّا الَّذي يَترفق

لَم يَقضِها إِلّا الَّذي يَترفق

If a thousand fully armed men set out on an errand,

If a thousand heavily laden camels traveled in need

none would accomplish it but the one who acts gently.

None would fulfil it but the gentle one

إِن التَرَفُّق لِلمُقيمِ موافق

إِن التَرَفُّق لِلمُقيمِ موافق

وَاِذا يُسافِر فَالتَرَفُّق أَوفَق

وَاِذا يُسافِر فَالتَرَفُّق أَوفَق

Gentleness suits the one who stays,

Gentleness suits the resident

and when he travels, gentleness is still more fitting.

And when traveling, gentleness is most suited