الناسُ في زَمَنِ الإِقبالِ كَالشَجَرَة

الناسُ في زَمَنِ الإِقبالِ كَالشَجَرَة

وَحَولَها الناسُ ما دامَت بِها الثَمَرَه

وَحَولَها الناسُ ما دامَت بِها الثَمَرَه

In times of prosperity, people are like a tree;

People in prosperous times are like a tree

People, in times of prosperity, are like a tree,

And people surround it as long as it bears fruit.

With people around it as long as it bears fruit

Surrounded by crowds so long as it bears fruit.

حَتّى إِذا ما عَرَت مِن حَملِها اِنصَرَفوا

حَتّى إِذا ما عَرَت مِن حَملِها اِنصَرَفوا

عَنها عُقوقاً وَقَد كانوا بِها بَرَرَه

عَنها عُقوقاً وَقَد كانوا بِها بَرَرَه

Until, once it is bare of its fruit, they turn away

But when it becomes barren, they turn away

But once it is stripped bare of its bounty, they turn away,

From it in ingratitude, though they had been devoted to it.

Ungratefully, though once they sheltered under it

Abandoning it with ingratitude, though they once showed it devotion.

وحاوَلوا قَطعَها مِن بَعدِ ما شَفِقوا

وحاوَلوا قَطعَها مِن بَعدِ ما شَفِقوا

دَهراً عَلَيها مِنَ الأَرياحِ وَالغَبَرَه

دَهراً عَلَيها مِنَ الأَرياحِ وَالغَبَرَه

And they try to cut it down, after having worried

And later tried to fell it, though long ago

They even seek to chop it down, after having fretted

So long about it, fearing the winds and dust.

They pitied it, buffeted by winds and dust

For an age, lest the winds or dust might harm it.

قُلتُ مُروءاتُ أَهلِ الأَرضِ كُلِّهِمُ

قُلتُ مُروءاتُ أَهلِ الأَرضِ كُلِّهِمُ

إِلّا الأَقَلُّ فَلَيسَ العَشرُ مِن عَشَرَه

إِلّا الأَقَلُّ فَلَيسَ العَشرُ مِن عَشَرَه

I said: noble character among all the people of the earth

I said: The chivalry of all men on earth

I say: the chivalry of all the earth's inhabitants—

Is found only in the very few—not even one in ten.

Is rare; not one in ten deserves the name

Save for a few—is lacking; for the ten are not truly ten.

لا تَحمَدَنَّ اِمرِءاً حَتّى تُجَرِّبُهُ

لا تَحمَدَنَّ اِمرِءاً حَتّى تُجَرِّبُهُ

فَرُبَّما لَم يوافِق خُبرَهُ خَبَرَه

فَرُبَّما لَم يوافِق خُبرَهُ خَبَرَه

Never praise a man until you have tested him;

So never praise a man till you have tested him

Do not heap praise upon a man until you have tested him,

For experience of him may not match what is said of him.

For often reputation belies character

For perhaps his true nature will not match his repute.