قُلْ لِمَنْ شَرُّهُ يُهرِولُ سَعياً

قُلْ لِمَنْ شَرُّهُ يُهرِولُ سَعياً

وأرى خَيَرهُ يدِبُّ سِواكا

وأرى خَيَرهُ يدِبُّ سِواكا

Tell him whose evil rushes headlong,

Say to him whose evil runs swiftly seeking,

while I see his goodness creeping feebly:

While I see his good crawling sluggishly,

أربَحُ التّاجرَيْن مَن باعَ باعاً

أربَحُ التّاجرَيْن مَن باعَ باعاً

منكَ واعتضَ منهُ فِترسِواكا

منكَ واعتضَ منهُ فِترسِواكا

The more profitable of the two traders is he who sells a fathom

Which merchant profits more, one who sold hastily,

of you and takes in exchange a finger-span of tooth-stick.

Or one who bought from you and endured your sluggishness?

فامضِ في حَيْطَةٍ فلَخَيرٌ

فامضِ في حَيْطَةٍ فلَخَيرٌ

منكَ عُودٌ بَرَيْتُ مِنهُ سِواكا

منكَ عُودٌ بَرَيْتُ مِنهُ سِواكا

Go, then, in safety, for surely better

So proceed with care, for the best

than you is a stick from which I whittled a tooth-stick.

Is a branch from you I have endured cut slowly.