لسان الفتى حتف الفتى حين يجهلُ

لسان الفتى حتف الفتى حين يجهلُ

وكلُّ امرئٍ ما بين فكَّيه مقتلُ

وكلُّ امرئٍ ما بين فكَّيه مقتلُ

A youth's tongue is his doom when he acts foolishly.

A youth's tongue, his downfall when unwise,

And every man's fatal weak point lies between his jaws.

Each person between their jaws a demise.

إذا ما لسان المرءِ أكثر هذره

إذا ما لسان المرءِ أكثر هذره

فذاك لسان بالبلاء موكَّلُ

فذاك لسان بالبلاء موكَّلُ

If a man's tongue multiplies its idle chatter,

If a man's tongue becomes excessively free,

Then that tongue is charged with calamity.

That tongue's assigned endless calamity.

وكم فاتحٍ أبواب شرٍّ لنفسه

وكم فاتحٍ أبواب شرٍّ لنفسه

إذا لم يكن قفلٌ على فيه مُقفَلُ

إذا لم يكن قفلٌ على فيه مُقفَلُ

How many a man opens doors of evil for himself,

How many opened doors of evil for themselves

When no lock is fastened upon his mouth!

When no lock confined their mouths, inviolable.

كذا من رمى يوماً شرارات لفظه

كذا من رمى يوماً شرارات لفظه

تلقَّته نيران الجوابات تشعلُ

تلقَّته نيران الجوابات تشعلُ

Likewise, whoever one day hurls the sparks of his speech

So too whoever once cast fiery words,

Is met by the blazing fires of replies.

Will meet answering flames that flare and burn.

ومن لم يقيِّد لفظه متجملاً

ومن لم يقيِّد لفظه متجملاً

سيُطلَقُ فيه كلُّ ما ليس يجملُ

سيُطلَقُ فيه كلُّ ما ليس يجملُ

And if anyone does not restrain his speech with decorum,

Who doesn't restrain his words composed,

Everything unseemly will be unleashed against him.

Will unleash all that isn't becoming.

ومن لم يكن في فيه ماءُ صيانةٍ

ومن لم يكن في فيه ماءُ صيانةٍ

فمن وجهه غصن المهابة يذبلُ

فمن وجهه غصن المهابة يذبلُ

And if anyone has no water of restraint in his mouth,

Who lacks water of decency in his mouth,

The bough of dignity withers away from his face.

From his face the branch of awe will wither.

فلِم تحسبنَّ الفضل في الحلم وحدَه

فلِم تحسبنَّ الفضل في الحلم وحدَه

بل الجهل في بعض الأحايين أفضلُ

بل الجهل في بعض الأحايين أفضلُ

Why, then, suppose that merit lies in forbearance alone?

Why reckon excellence just in patience alone?

Rather, rashness is better on some occasions.

Nay, ignorance in some eras is superior.

ومن ينتصر ممن بغى فهو ما بغى

ومن ينتصر ممن بغى فهو ما بغى

وشرُّ المُسِيئَينِ الذي هو أوَّلُ

وشرُّ المُسِيئَينِ الذي هو أوَّلُ

Whoever takes redress from one who wronged him has not done wrong,

Who takes revenge on an aggressor, he's the aggressor,

And the worse of the two wrongdoers is the one who began.

The worst of evildoers is he who starts first.

وقد أوجب اللَه القِصاص بعدله

وقد أوجب اللَه القِصاص بعدله

ولله حكم في العقوبات مُنزَلُ

ولله حكم في العقوبات مُنزَلُ

And God has ordained retribution in His justice,

God ordained retaliation in His justice,

And God has a revealed decree concerning punishments.

To God belongs judgment in punishments revealed.

فإن كان قولٌ قد أصاب مقاتلاً

فإن كان قولٌ قد أصاب مقاتلاً

فإن جواب القول أدهى وأقتلُ

فإن جواب القول أدهى وأقتلُ

So if a remark has struck vital spots,

If words have wounded a fighter,

Then its reply is more devastating and deadlier.

Then answering words cut deeper still.

وقد قيل في حفظ اللسان وخزنه

وقد قيل في حفظ اللسان وخزنه

مسائل من كل الفضائل أكمَلُ

مسائل من كل الفضائل أكمَلُ

And on guarding the tongue and restraining it, there have been stated

Much has been said about safeguarding the tongue, storing it,

Precepts more complete than all the virtues.

Questions from all virtues most perfect.

ومَن لم تُقَرِّبه سلامةُ غَيبِه

ومَن لم تُقَرِّبه سلامةُ غَيبِه

فقربانه في الوجه لا يُتَقَبَّلُ

فقربانه في الوجه لا يُتَقَبَّلُ

And if anyone is not endeared by his integrity in absence,

He whom safety of his absence doesn't draw near,

His approach face-to-face is not accepted.

His presence is unacceptable.

ومَن يتَّخذ سوء التخلُّف عادةً

ومَن يتَّخذ سوء التخلُّف عادةً

فليس لديه في عتابٍ مُعَوَّلُ

فليس لديه في عتابٍ مُعَوَّلُ

And if anyone makes a habit of blameworthy shirking,

Who adopts the habit of evil reticence,

No reliance can be placed on reproaching him.

Has no hope in reproach to rely on.

ومن كثرت منه الوقيعة طالباً

ومن كثرت منه الوقيعة طالباً

بها عزَّةً فهو المهين المذلَّلُ

بها عزَّةً فهو المهين المذلَّلُ

And whoever slanders often, seeking

When insults from him became frequent,

Honor through it, is himself contemptible and abased.

Seeking glory, he is the disgraced, humbled.

وعدلٌ مكافاة المسيء بفعلِهِ

وعدلٌ مكافاة المسيء بفعلِهِ

فماذا على مَن في القضية يعدل

فماذا على مَن في القضية يعدل

And it is just to repay a wrongdoer in kind,

Justice is matching the evildoer with his act,

So what blame is there on one who acts justly in the matter?

So what of one who judges justly in the case?

ولا فضل في الحسنى إلى من يمنُّها

ولا فضل في الحسنى إلى من يمنُّها

بلى عند مَن يزكو لديه التفضُّل

بلى عند مَن يزكو لديه التفضُّل

And kindness has no merit for one who boasts of bestowing it,

No merit in benevolence to one who grants it,

But it does with one for whom generosity flourishes.

But with one who deems it graciousness.

ومن جعل التعريض محصول مزحه

ومن جعل التعريض محصول مزحه

فذاك على المقت المصرِّح يحصلُ

فذاك على المقت المصرِّح يحصلُ

And whoever makes insinuation the yield of his joking

Who makes insinuation the harvest of his jest,

Earns hatred that declares itself openly.

Reaps explicit contempt more abundantly.

ومن أمن الآفات عجباً برأيه

ومن أمن الآفات عجباً برأيه

أحاطت به الآفات من حيث يجهلُ

أحاطت به الآفات من حيث يجهلُ

And if anyone feels safe from calamities out of conceit in his judgment,

Who felt secure from harm, proud of his mind,

Calamities surround him from quarters he does not suspect.

Harms encircled him from where he knew not.

أُعلِّمكم ما علَّمتني تجاربي

أُعلِّمكم ما علَّمتني تجاربي

وقد قال قبلي قائلٌ متمثِّلُ

وقد قال قبلي قائلٌ متمثِّلُ

I teach you what my experiences have taught me,

I teach you what my experiences have taught me,

And before me someone said, quoting a proverb:

And one before me said it verse form:

إذا قلتَ قولاً كنتَ رهن جوابه

إذا قلتَ قولاً كنتَ رهن جوابه

فحاذر جواب السوء إن كنتَ تعقلُ

فحاذر جواب السوء إن كنتَ تعقلُ

When you utter a remark, you are hostage to its reply;

If you speak a word, you're hostage to its answer,

So beware an evil reply, if you have sense.

So beware an evil answer if you're wise.

إذا شئتَ أن تحيا سعيداً مسلَّماً

إذا شئتَ أن تحيا سعيداً مسلَّماً

فدبِّر وميِّز ما تقول وتفعلُ

فدبِّر وميِّز ما تقول وتفعلُ

If you wish to live happy and safe,

If you wish to live happy and secure,

Then deliberate and be discerning in what you say and do.

Deliberate and discern what you say and do.