إِذا كُنتَ ذا مالٍ كَثيرٍ فَجُد بِهِ
فَإِنَّ كَريمَ القَومِ مَن هوَ باذِلُ
If you have abundant wealth, be generous with it.
For the noble one among the people is the one who gives.
وَقَومُكَ لا تَحمِل عَلَيهِم وَلا تَكُن
بِهِم هارِشاً تَغتابُهُم وَتُقابِلُ
And do not attack your people, nor be
quarrelsome with them, backbiting them and confronting them.
فَما يَنهَضُ البازي بِغَيرِ جَناحِهِ
وَما تَحمِلُ الساقَينِ إِلّا الحَوامِلُ
For the hawk does not rise without its wing,
and the two legs are borne only by their supports.
وَما سابِقٌ إِلّا بِساقٍ سَليمَةٍ
وَما باطِشٌ إِن لَم تُعِنهُ الأَنامِلُ
And no one can outstrip others without a sound leg,
and no one can strike if the fingers do not aid him.
إِذا أنتَ ناوأتَ القُرونَ وَلَم تَنُؤ
بِقَرنَينِ غَرَّتكَ القُرونُ الأَطاوِلُ
If you challenge the horns and do not rise
with two horns, the longer horns will deceive you.
إِذا ما استَوى روقاكَ لَم يَهتَضِمهُما
عَدؤٌّ وَلَم يأكُل ضَعيفَكَ آكِلُ
If your two horns stand level, they will not be overpowered
by an enemy, nor will any devourer consume your weak one.
وَما يَستوي قَرنُ النِطاحِ الَّذي بِهِ
تَنوءُ وَقَرنٌ كُلَّما نُؤتَ مائِلُ
Nor are these equal: the butting horn with which
you rise, and a horn that tilts whenever you rise.
Sol 6.1