كثير الشر ينتج من قليله

كثير الشر ينتج من قليله

وتلقى المرء يدهى من فضوله

وتلقى المرء يدهى من فضوله

Much evil springs from a little of it.

Much evil comes from little of it

And you find a man brought to grief by his meddling.

And you will find a person ruined by his excess

وما التحف الفتى ثوبا إذا ما

وما التحف الفتى ثوبا إذا ما

تأّبى العز أنفع من خموله

تأّبى العز أنفع من خموله

No youth has ever donned a cloak, when

Fine clothes do not make a man, if he refuses

glory was unattainable, more useful than his obscurity.

Honor is more useful than laziness

أقول لمؤثر عيشا سليما

أقول لمؤثر عيشا سليما

ويهو أن يضاف إلى خليله

ويهو أن يضاف إلى خليله

I say to one who prefers a peaceful life

I say to one who prefers a wholesome life

and wishes to be associated with his close friend:

Yet craves to join his friend

تحنّب صاحب السوء اختيارا

تحنّب صاحب السوء اختيارا

فشرّ السيف فيه وفي رميله

فشرّ السيف فيه وفي رميله

Avoid an evil companion by choice,

Avoid the evil companion, deliberately

for a sword's evil lies in it and in its companion.

Evil is the sword in him and his sand dune

ولا يغررك مبتسم نفاقا

ولا يغررك مبتسم نفاقا

إليك ردى وينفث في غليله

إليك ردى وينفث في غليله

And do not be deceived by one smiling hypocritically

And do not be fooled by one smiling hypocritically

at you—a source of ruin who fans his rancor.

Ill-will to you, while breathing out his bile

إذا استدللت فاستدلل بصيرا

إذا استدللت فاستدلل بصيرا

فكم من تائه بعمى دليله

فكم من تائه بعمى دليله

If you seek a guide, seek one who can see;

When deducing, deduce with insight

for many a wanderer is lost through his guide's blindness.

Many are lost, blinded by their guide

وإن قلدت قلد مستدلا

وإن قلدت قلد مستدلا

فشرّ الطب مستغني عليله

فشرّ الطب مستغني عليله

And if you follow another, follow one who reasons from evidence;

And if you imitate, imitate with understanding

for the worst medicine is that whose patient feels no need of it.

The worst medicine makes the sick dependent

يذم الشيب قوم قلت كفوا

يذم الشيب قوم قلت كفوا

رحيل الشيب اصعب من نزوله

رحيل الشيب اصعب من نزوله

Some people condemn gray hair; I said, "Desist!"

Some blame old age, I say stop

Gray hair's departure is harder than its arrival.

The going of old age is harder than its coming

صديقك من إذا أقحشت غطى

صديقك من إذا أقحشت غطى

قبيحك واستمرّ على جميله

قبيحك واستمرّ على جميله

Your friend is one who, when you act shamefully, covers

Your friend is one who when you make a blunder, covers

your ugliness and persists in his kindness,

Your ugliness and persists in his kindness

ومن إن ضايقتك يد الليالي

ومن إن ضايقتك يد الليالي

أزالك عن مواهبه وقيله

أزالك عن مواهبه وقيله

and one who, if the hand of the nights oppresses you,

And one who when days tighten their grip

cuts you off from his gifts and words.

Lifts you from his gifts and saying

فأما من يراك بعين حقد

فأما من يراك بعين حقد

عدوّك دعه يمضي في سبيله

عدوّك دعه يمضي في سبيله

But as for one who sees you with an eye of hatred,

As for one who sees you with an envious eye

he is your enemy; let him go on his way.

Let him go his way, your enemy

إذا عدل الصديق إلى التجنّي

إذا عدل الصديق إلى التجنّي

فقد أبدى العداوة في عدوله

فقد أبدى العداوة في عدوله

If a friend turns to unjust accusations,

When a friend turns to aloofness

he has revealed enmity in his turning aside.

He has revealed enmity in his turning

وإن نزل الصديق إلى التكافي

وإن نزل الصديق إلى التكافي

إلى المعروف قبح في نزوله

إلى المعروف قبح في نزوله

And if a friend stoops to repayment in kind,

And if a friend descends into evenness

in doing good, his descent is ugly.

In returning good, ugly is his descent

فلا تفرح بود أخ إذا لم

فلا تفرح بود أخ إذا لم

يدع يمناك تلعب في زبيله

يدع يمناك تلعب في زبيله

So do not rejoice in a brother's affection if he does not

So do not rejoice in the affection of a brother if he does not

let your right hand play in his basket.

Let your right hand play in his bucket