إِكرَه لِغَيرِكَ ما لِنَفسِكَ تَكرَهُ

إِكرَه لِغَيرِكَ ما لِنَفسِكَ تَكرَهُ

وَاِفعَل بِنَفسِكَ فِعلَ مَن يَتَنَزَّهُ

وَاِفعَل بِنَفسِكَ فِعلَ مَن يَتَنَزَّهُ

Dislike for others what you dislike for yourself.

Do not impose on others what you dislike for yourself,

And conduct yourself like one who keeps himself pure.

And act with yourself as one dignified acts,

وَاِدفَع بِصَمتِكَ عَنكَ خاطِرَةَ الخَنا

وَاِدفَع بِصَمتِكَ عَنكَ خاطِرَةَ الخَنا

حَذَرَ الجَوابِ فَإِنَّهُ بِكَ أَشبَهُ

حَذَرَ الجَوابِ فَإِنَّهُ بِكَ أَشبَهُ

And with your silence ward off from yourself the impulse to foul speech,

Repel with your silence any idea that angers you,

Avoiding a reply, for that befits you better.

Beware of answering back, for it makes you more like him,

وَكِلِ السَفيهَ إِلى السَفاهَةِ وَاِنتَصِف

وَكِلِ السَفيهَ إِلى السَفاهَةِ وَاِنتَصِف

بِالحِلمِ أَو بِالصَمتِ مِمَّن يَسفَهُ

بِالحِلمِ أَو بِالصَمتِ مِمَّن يَسفَهُ

And leave the fool to his folly, and gain redress

Leave the foolish to his folly and take your revenge

Through forbearance or silence from one who acts foolishly.

With forbearance or silence from him who acts foolishly,

وَدَعِ الفُكاهَةَ بِالمُزاحِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَدَعِ الفُكاهَةَ بِالمُزاحِ فَإِنَّهُ

يَردى وَيَسخَفُ مَن بِهِ يَتَفَكَّهُ

يَردى وَيَسخَفُ مَن بِهِ يَتَفَكَّهُ

And abandon amusement through jesting, for

Avoid jocularity and jesting, for such a person

Whoever amuses himself with it comes to ruin and grows foolish.

Will fall and make light of him who jests with him,

وَالصَمتُ لِلمَرءِ الحَليمِ وِقايَةٌ

وَالصَمتُ لِلمَرءِ الحَليمِ وِقايَةٌ

يَنفي بِها عَن عِرضِهِ ما يَكرَهُ

يَنفي بِها عَن عِرضِهِ ما يَكرَهُ

And silence is a shield for the forbearing man,

Silence is a protection for the forbearing man

By which he keeps what he dislikes away from his honor.

By which he keeps away from his honor what he dislikes,

لا تَنسَ حِلمَكَ حينَ يَقرَعُكَ الأَذى

لا تَنسَ حِلمَكَ حينَ يَقرَعُكَ الأَذى

مِن كُلِّ مَن يَجني عَلَيكَ وَيَجبَهُ

مِن كُلِّ مَن يَجني عَلَيكَ وَيَجبَهُ

Do not forget your forbearance when harm strikes you

Do not forget your forbearance when annoyance hurts you

From anyone who wrongs you and affronts you.

From all who wrong you and treat you with enmity,

فَلَرُبَّما صَبَرَ الحَليمُ عَلى الأَذى

فَلَرُبَّما صَبَرَ الحَليمُ عَلى الأَذى

حَتّى يَرى وَكَأَنَّه يَتَدَلَّهُ

حَتّى يَرى وَكَأَنَّه يَتَدَلَّهُ

For often the forbearing man has endured harm

For sometimes the forbearing man is patient with annoyance

Until he appears as though he has lost his senses.

Until it seems as if he makes light of it,

وَلَرُبَّما حَجَبَ الحَليمُ جَوابَهُ

وَلَرُبَّما حَجَبَ الحَليمُ جَوابَهُ

بِالصَمتِ مِنهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَمُفَوَّهُ

بِالصَمتِ مِنهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَمُفَوَّهُ

And often the forbearing man has withheld his answer

And sometimes the forbearing man veils his answer

Through silence on his part, though he is indeed eloquent.

With silence though he is eloquent,

وَلَرُبَّما جَمَحَ اسِفاهُ بِذي الحِجا

وَلَرُبَّما جَمَحَ اسِفاهُ بِذي الحِجا

حَتّى يُذَلِّلُهُ الدَنيءُ الأَسفَهُ

حَتّى يُذَلِّلُهُ الدَنيءُ الأَسفَهُ

And often folly has run away with a man of reason,

And sometimes he checks the foolishness of the ignorant

Until a base, greater fool tames him.

Until the vilest makes him feel humble,

وَلَرُبَّما نَسِيَ الوَقورَ وَقارَهُ

وَلَرُبَّما نَسِيَ الوَقورَ وَقارَهُ

حَتّى تَراهُ جاهِلاً يَتَدَهدَهُ

حَتّى تَراهُ جاهِلاً يَتَدَهدَهُ

And often the dignified man has forgotten his dignity

And sometimes the dignified forgets his dignity

Until you see him a fool, tumbling down.

Until you see him foolishly shaking to and fro,

وَلَرُبَّما نَهنَهتَ عَنكَ ذَوي الخَنا

وَلَرُبَّما نَهنَهتَ عَنكَ ذَوي الخَنا

بِالصَمتِ إِلّا أَحجَموا وَتَنَهنَهوا

بِالصَمتِ إِلّا أَحجَموا وَتَنَهنَهوا

And often you have kept the foul-mouthed away from you

And sometimes those who bear you enmity

Through silence—they did nothing but retreat and restrain themselves.

Fall silent from you if they are shamed and feel timid,

إِنَّ الحَليمَ عَنِ الأَذى مُتَحَجِّبٌ

إِنَّ الحَليمَ عَنِ الأَذى مُتَحَجِّبٌ

وَعَنِ الخَنا مُتَوَفِّرٌ مُتَنَزِّهُ

وَعَنِ الخَنا مُتَوَفِّرٌ مُتَنَزِّهُ

Indeed, the forbearing man shields himself from harm,

Verily the forbearing man keeps away from annoyance

And holds back from foul speech, keeping himself pure.

And from enmity remains aloof and dignified,

وَالبَغيُ يَصرَعُ أَهلَهُ وَيُريكَهُم

وَالبَغيُ يَصرَعُ أَهلَهُ وَيُريكَهُم

وَجَميعُهُم مِن صَرعِهِ يَتَأَوَّهُ

وَجَميعُهُم مِن صَرعِهِ يَتَأَوَّهُ

And wrongdoing fells those who practice it and shows them to you,

Oppression fells its own people and shows them to you

And all of them groan from being felled by it.

Groaning from its violence and calamity,

إِنَّ الزَمانَ لِأَهلِهِ لَمُؤَدَّبٌ

إِنَّ الزَمانَ لِأَهلِهِ لَمُؤَدَّبٌ

بِصُروفِهِ وَمُيَقِّظٌ وَمُنَبِّهُ

بِصُروفِهِ وَمُيَقِّظٌ وَمُنَبِّهُ

Indeed, time disciplines its people

Verily time disciplines its people

Through its vicissitudes, and awakens and admonishes them.

With its vicissitudes, rousing and warning them,

أَفَقِهتَ عَن عِبَرِ الزَمانِ صِفاتِها

أَفَقِهتَ عَن عِبَرِ الزَمانِ صِفاتِها

هَيهاتَ لَستُ أَراكَ عَنها تَفقَهُ

هَيهاتَ لَستُ أَراكَ عَنها تَفقَهُ

Have you understood the nature of time's lessons?

You are not wise about the lessons of time and its attributes,

Far from it! I do not see you learning from them.

Alas, I do not see you becoming wise about them!

وَلَقَد أَراكَ تَعِبتَ في طَلَبِ الغِنى

وَلَقَد أَراكَ تَعِبتَ في طَلَبِ الغِنى

شَرِهاً وَلَيسَ يَنالُهُ مَن يَشرَهُ

شَرِهاً وَلَيسَ يَنالُهُ مَن يَشرَهُ

And indeed, I see you wearied in the pursuit of wealth,

And I see you have wearied yourself seeking wealth

Greedily—yet the greedy do not attain it.

Greedily, though none attains it through greed,

وَأَراكَ في الدُنيا وَأَنتَ مُنازِعٌ

وَأَراكَ في الدُنيا وَأَنتَ مُنازِعٌ

وَمَنافِسٌ وَمُمازِحٌ وَمُقَهقِهُ

وَمَنافِسٌ وَمُمازِحٌ وَمُقَهقِهُ

And I see you in this world, quarreling,

And I see you in the world competing,

And competing, joking, and laughing aloud.

Rivaling, jesting and laughing foolishly,

قُل لِلَّذينَ تَشَبَّهوا بِذَوي التُقى

قُل لِلَّذينَ تَشَبَّهوا بِذَوي التُقى

لا يَلعَبَنَّ بِنَفسِهِ مُتَشَبِّهُ

لا يَلعَبَنَّ بِنَفسِهِ مُتَشَبِّهُ

Say to those who imitate the pious:

Say to those who pretend to be pious:

Let no imitator ever trifle with himself.

Let no pretender make light of himself!

هَيهاتَ لا يَخفى التُقى مِن ذي التُقى

هَيهاتَ لا يَخفى التُقى مِن ذي التُقى

هَيهاتَ لا يَخفى اِمرُؤٌ مُتَأَلِّهُ

هَيهاتَ لا يَخفى اِمرُؤٌ مُتَأَلِّهُ

Far from it! The piety of the pious cannot be hidden.

Alas, piety is not hidden in the God-fearing man,

Far from it! One devoted to God cannot go unrecognized.

Alas, the devoted man’s state is not concealed!

إِنَّ القُلوبَ إِذا طَوَت أَسرارَها

إِنَّ القُلوبَ إِذا طَوَت أَسرارَها

أَبدَت لَكَ الأَسرارَ مِنها الأَوجُهُ

أَبدَت لَكَ الأَسرارَ مِنها الأَوجُهُ

Indeed, when hearts fold away their secrets,

When hearts conceal their secrets,

Faces reveal to you the secrets within those hearts.

Their faces show you their manifold secrets.