وَمُحتَرِسٍ مِن نَفسِهِ خَوف ذِلَّةٍ

وَمُحتَرِسٍ مِن نَفسِهِ خَوف ذِلَّةٍ

تَكونُ عَلَيهِ حُجَّةٌ هِيَ ماهِيَا

تَكونُ عَلَيهِ حُجَّةٌ هِيَ ماهِيَا

And one who guards against himself, fearing disgrace

Cautious of himself, fearing disgrace

And there is one who guards himself for fear of abasement,

that would stand as evidence against him—what evidence it would be!

That would be proof against him, destroying him.

Lest a judgment fall upon him—and weighty indeed is that judgment.

فَقَلَّصَ بَردَيهِ وَأَفضى بِقلبِهِ

فَقَلَّصَ بَردَيهِ وَأَفضى بِقلبِهِ

إِلى البِرِّ وَالتَقوى فَنالَ الأَمانيا

إِلى البِرِّ وَالتَقوى فَنالَ الأَمانيا

So he drew up his two cloaks and turned his heart

So he drew in his cloak and opened his heart

So he gathered his robes, holding aloof, and surrendered his heart

to righteousness and piety, and thus attained his wishes.

To righteousness and piety, attaining his wishes.

To righteousness and piety, and thus attained his aspirations.

وَجانِبَ أَسبابَ السَفاهَةِ وَالخَنا

وَجانِبَ أَسبابَ السَفاهَةِ وَالخَنا

عَفافاً وَتَنزيهاً فَأَصبِح عاليا

عَفافاً وَتَنزيهاً فَأَصبِح عاليا

And shun the causes of folly and foul speech,

He avoided the causes of frivolity and impudence

He shunned the causes of foolishness and obscenity

for chastity and purity; so become exalted.

With chastity and probity, and so became exalted.

Out of virtue and integrity, rising to a lofty station.

وَصانَ عِن الفَحشاءِ نَفساً كَريمَةً

وَصانَ عِن الفَحشاءِ نَفساً كَريمَةً

أَبَت هِمَّةً إِلا العُلى وَالمَعالِيَا

أَبَت هِمَّةً إِلا العُلى وَالمَعالِيَا

And he guarded a noble soul from indecency,

He guarded a noble soul from indecency

He preserved a noble soul from indecency,

one that, in its aspiration, refused all but eminence and lofty achievements.

That refused any goal but the highest and loftiest.

A soul that refused, in its ambition, anything but glory and the heights.

تَراهُ إِذا ما طاشَ ذو الجَهلِ وَالصِبى

تَراهُ إِذا ما طاشَ ذو الجَهلِ وَالصِبى

حَليماً وَقوراً صائِنَ النَفسِ هاديا

حَليماً وَقوراً صائِنَ النَفسِ هاديا

You see him, when the ignorant youth acts rashly,

You see him, when the ignorant and foolish act wildly,

You see him, when the ignorant and the youthful act rashly,

forbearing, dignified, guarding himself and giving guidance.

Calm, dignified, protecting himself, providing guidance.

Forbearing, dignified, composed of soul, and calm.

لَهُ حِلمُ كَهلٍ في صَرامَةِ حازِمٍ

لَهُ حِلمُ كَهلٍ في صَرامَةِ حازِمٍ

وَفي العَينِ إِن أَبصَرَت أَبصَرَت ساهيا

وَفي العَينِ إِن أَبصَرَت أَبصَرَت ساهيا

He has a mature man's forbearance, with a resolute man's firmness,

He has the patience of an old man in the firmness of a resolute man,

He possesses the wisdom of the mature within the resolve of the decisive,

and to the eye, if it looks, he appears absent-minded.

And if his eye sees, it sees calmly.

And to the eye, should it gaze upon him, he appears unassuming.

يَروقُ صَفاءَ الماءِ مِنهُ بِوَجهِهِ

يَروقُ صَفاءَ الماءِ مِنهُ بِوَجهِهِ

فَأَصبَحَ مِنهُ الماءُ في الوَجهِ صافيا

فَأَصبَحَ مِنهُ الماءُ في الوَجهِ صافيا

With his face, he charms the water's clarity,

The clarity of water becomes clearer from his face,

The clarity of water shines pleasingly from his face,

so, through him, the water in his face became clear.

So the water became pure in his face.

For the water of dignity upon his countenance is pure.

وَمِن فَضلِهِ يَرعى ذِماماً لِجارِهِ

وَمِن فَضلِهِ يَرعى ذِماماً لِجارِهِ

وَيَحفَظُ مِنهُ العَهدَ إِذ ظَلَّ راعيا

وَيَحفَظُ مِنهُ العَهدَ إِذ ظَلَّ راعيا

And in his goodness, he honors a pledge to his neighbor,

From his excellence, he tends the reins of his neighbor

And of his virtue, he honors the rights of his neighbor,

and keeps the covenant received from him, remaining its guardian.

And keeps his covenant with him while he remains a shepherd.

And preserves the bond with him, remaining ever a guardian.

صَبوراً عَلى صَرفِ اللَيالي وَرُزئِها

صَبوراً عَلى صَرفِ اللَيالي وَرُزئِها

كَتوماً لِأَسرارِ الضَميرِ مُداريا

كَتوماً لِأَسرارِ الضَميرِ مُداريا

Patient with the vicissitudes of nights and their calamities,

Patient with the passage of nights and their adversity,

Patient against the vicissitudes of time and its calamities,

reticent about the heart's secrets, and tactful.

Concealing the secrets of his conscience, conducting himself virtuously.

Burier of the heart's secrets, treating others with tact.

لَهُ هِمَّةٌ تَعلو عَلى كُلِّ هِمَّةٍ

لَهُ هِمَّةٌ تَعلو عَلى كُلِّ هِمَّةٍ

كَما قَد عَلا البَدرَ النُجومُ الدَراريا

كَما قَد عَلا البَدرَ النُجومُ الدَراريا

He has an aspiration that rises above every aspiration,

He has an ambition that rises above any ambition

He possesses an ambition that towers over every other ambition,

just as the shining stars have risen above the full moon.

As the full moon rose above the twinkling stars.

Just as the glittering stars rise above the full moon.