العَيشُ لا عَيشَ إِلّا ما اِقتَصَدتَ فَإِن

العَيشُ لا عَيشَ إِلّا ما اِقتَصَدتَ فَإِن

تُسرِف وتبذر لَقيتَ الضُرَّ وَالعَطبا

تُسرِف وتبذر لَقيتَ الضُرَّ وَالعَطبا

Life is no life unless you practice moderation; for if

Living is worthless but for frugality;

you spend extravagantly and squander, you will meet harm and ruin.

If wasteful and prodigal, destitution and decay you shall surely meet.

العِلمُ زَينٌ وَتَشريفٌ لِصاحِبِهِ

العِلمُ زَينٌ وَتَشريفٌ لِصاحِبِهِ

فاِطلُب هُديتَ فنونَ العِلمِ وَالأَدَبا

فاِطلُب هُديتَ فنونَ العِلمِ وَالأَدَبا

Knowledge is an adornment and an honor to its possessor.

Knowledge adorns and ennobles its bearer;

So seek—may you be guided—the branches of knowledge and refinement.

Seek the jewel of knowledge and literature as a gift.

لا خَيرَ فيمَن لَهُ أَصلٌ بِلا أَدَبٍ

لا خَيرَ فيمَن لَهُ أَصلٌ بِلا أَدَبٍ

حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى ما زانَهُ حَدِبا

حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى ما زانَهُ حَدِبا

There is no good in one of noble lineage without refinement,

No good in him who lacks manners with ancestry;

until he tends carefully to what lends him distinction.

Until he rises to the level his hump warrants.

كَم مِن حَسيبٍ أَخي عَيٍّ وَطَمطَمَةٍ

كَم مِن حَسيبٍ أَخي عَيٍّ وَطَمطَمَةٍ

فَدمٍ لَدى القَومِ مَعروقٍ إِذا اِنتَسَبا

فَدمٍ لَدى القَومِ مَعروقٍ إِذا اِنتَسَبا

How many a wellborn man, given to halting and garbled speech,

How many highborn of base stock and loudmouthed;

is a dullard among his people, yet of known stock when he recounts his descent,

Their lineage among the throng exalted while being upstarts.

في بَيتِ مَكرُمَةٍ آباؤهُ نُجُبٌ

في بَيتِ مَكرُمَةٍ آباؤهُ نُجُبٌ

كانوا رؤوساً فَأَمسى بَعدهُم ذَنَبا

كانوا رؤوساً فَأَمسى بَعدهُم ذَنَبا

from a house of honor, his forefathers noble men!

In an honored house their sires nobles;

They were heads, but after them he became a tail.

Afterwards they became the tail what once was the head.

وَخامِلٍ مُقرِفِ الآباءِ ذي أَدَبٍ

وَخامِلٍ مُقرِفِ الآباءِ ذي أَدَبٍ

نالَ المَعاليَ بِالآدابِ وَالرُتَبا

نالَ المَعاليَ بِالآدابِ وَالرُتَبا

And many an obscure man, of lowly ancestry but possessed of refinement,

One both heedless of forebears yet mannered;

has attained high honors and rank through refinement.

Through manners and rank did attain heights.

أَضحى عَزيزاً عَظيمَ الشأَنِ مُشتَهِراً

أَضحى عَزيزاً عَظيمَ الشأَنِ مُشتَهِراً

في خَدِّهِ صَعَرٌ قَد ظَلَّ مُحتَجِبا

في خَدِّهِ صَعَرٌ قَد ظَلَّ مُحتَجِبا

He has become esteemed, great in standing and renowned;

He became mighty, grand, renowned;

his cheek is turned in pride; he has remained secluded.

On his cheek a scar that long has hid.

العِلمُ كَنزٌ وَذُخرٌ لا نَفادَ لَهُ

العِلمُ كَنزٌ وَذُخرٌ لا نَفادَ لَهُ

نِعمَ القَرينُ إِذا ما صاحَبَ صُحبا

نِعمَ القَرينُ إِذا ما صاحَبَ صُحبا

Knowledge is a treasure and a store that never runs out.

Knowledge is a cache that shall never run out;

What a fine companion when it accompanies friends!

Fine companion it makes if accompanied.

قَد يَجمَعُ المَرءُ مالاً ثُمَّ يُسلَبُهُ

قَد يَجمَعُ المَرءُ مالاً ثُمَّ يُسلَبُهُ

عَمّا قَليلٍ فَيَلقى الذُلَّ وَالحَرَبا

عَمّا قَليلٍ فَيَلقى الذُلَّ وَالحَرَبا

A man may gather wealth, then be stripped of it

A man gathers wealth only for it to be snatched;

before long, and so suffer humiliation and destitution.

In no time he meets subjugation and devastation.

وَجامِعُ العِلمِ مَغبوطٌ بِهِ أَبَداً

وَجامِعُ العِلمِ مَغبوطٌ بِهِ أَبَداً

وَلا يُحاذِر مِنهُ الفَوتَ وَالسَلبا

وَلا يُحاذِر مِنهُ الفَوتَ وَالسَلبا

And the gatherer of knowledge is always envied for it,

The learned is blissful through it forever;

and fears neither its loss nor its theft.

Neither loss nor dispossession need he fear.

يا جامِعَ العِلمِ نِعمَ الذخرُ تَجمَعُهُ

يا جامِعَ العِلمِ نِعمَ الذخرُ تَجمَعُهُ

لا تَعدِلَنَّ بِهِ دُرّاً وَلا ذَهَبا

لا تَعدِلَنَّ بِهِ دُرّاً وَلا ذَهَبا

O gatherer of knowledge, what a fine treasure you gather!

O learned one, choice treasure you amass;

Never deem pearls or gold equal to it.

It matches not pearl nor gold in equivalence.