رأيت الزمان وإخوانه

رأيت الزمان وإخوانه

يدورون في الحال دورانه

يدورون في الحال دورانه

I saw Time and its brothers

I saw time and its companions

turning with circumstance as it turns.

Revolving in this life and its rotations

إذا ما أسى وأسر الفتى

إذا ما أسى وأسر الفتى

يكونون ما كان أعوانه

يكونون ما كان أعوانه

Whenever it saddens and gladdens a young man,

Whenever a young man feels down and confined

they are its helpers as long as it endures.

They become not what once were his supporters

ومهما وفي عهد حر وفوا

ومهما وفي عهد حر وفوا

وخوانه عند ما خانه

وخوانه عند ما خانه

And whenever a free man's pledge is kept, they keep it,

And no matter how faithful and honest they vowed

and are his betrayers when it betrays him.

His companions betrayed him when he needed them

إذا ما طلبت الصديق الصدو

إذا ما طلبت الصديق الصدو

ق أعدمك الدهر وجدانه

ق أعدمك الدهر وجدانه

Whenever you seek a true friend,

If you seek a loyal friend in time of need

Time deprives you of finding him.

Time denies you ever finding one

ومن خالط الناس في شأنهم

ومن خالط الناس في شأنهم

رأى منهم كل ما شانه

رأى منهم كل ما شانه

And whoever mingles with people in their affairs

Whoever mingles with people in their affairs

sees among them all that disgraces him.

Sees in them all that is their nature

ومن عز أو بر عنهم علا

ومن عز أو بر عنهم علا

رأى في العواقب ما زانه

رأى في العواقب ما زانه

And whoever rises above them in honor or goodness

And he who is aloof, neither kind nor good to them

sees, in the end, what adorns him.

Sees in the end what faults him

ومن لم يزن عقله نطقه

ومن لم يزن عقله نطقه

أخف لدى الناس ميزانه

أخف لدى الناس ميزانه

And whoever's reason does not weigh his speech

He who does not weigh his words with his mind

makes his scales lighter in people's eyes.

Is deemed light in weight among people

لسان الفتى عنه عنوانه

لسان الفتى عنه عنوانه

فكن راصداً عنه عنوانه

فكن راصداً عنه عنوانه

A young man's tongue is the sign that tells of him;

A young man's tongue reveals his true self

so watch the sign that reveals him.

So watch his tongue to know his ways

فمنطق كل امرئٍ مظهر

فمنطق كل امرئٍ مظهر

على ما رأيناه ألبانه

على ما رأيناه ألبانه

For every person's speech reveals,

The speech of each person displays

as we have seen, the milk that nurtured him.

What we have found their qualities to be

ولا تنظر المرء وانظر إذا

ولا تنظر المرء وانظر إذا

أردت الحقيقة أقرانه

أردت الحقيقة أقرانه

And do not look at the man; look instead, if

And look not at the person, but look when

you want the truth, at his companions.

You want the truth at his peers

وصاحب إذا ما صحبت امرأً

وصاحب إذا ما صحبت امرأً

يغض عن القذع أجفانه

يغض عن القذع أجفانه

And whenever you keep company, befriend a man

And if you befriend a man

who averts his eyelids from foul abuse.

Turn a blind eye to his coarseness

فما صان عرضك إلا فتى

فما صان عرضك إلا فتى

إذا سيم في عرضه صانه

إذا سيم في عرضه صانه

For none guards your honor but a young man

For none shall protect your honor

who guards his own when it is assailed.

Except one who protects his own honor

إذا جهل المرء مقداره

إذا جهل المرء مقداره

تجاهلت القوم أثمانه

تجاهلت القوم أثمانه

If a man does not know his own worth,

When a man knows not his true worth

people pretend not to know his value.

People will undervalue his price

وقد يظهر التيه بالمرتدي

وقد يظهر التيه بالمرتدي

رداء التكامل نقصانه

رداء التكامل نقصانه

And conceit may reveal, in one who wears

And confusion may show in one wearing

the robe of perfection, his deficiency.

The cloak of perfection his flaws

وأصل عروق الفتى الرسخا

وأصل عروق الفتى الرسخا

تٍ تظهر في الذوق أغصانه

تٍ تظهر في الذوق أغصانه

And the origin of a young man's deep-set roots—

While the roots of a firmly rooted young man

its branches show themselves in his taste.

Reveal in his taste its branches

ولا خير فيمن يرى عرضه

ولا خير فيمن يرى عرضه

دنياً ويغسل أردانه

دنياً ويغسل أردانه

And there is no good in one who sees his honor

No good is he who sees his honor

debased, yet washes his sleeves.

As worldly and washes away values

ويا بئس من لم يكن ذا نهى

ويا بئس من لم يكن ذا نهى

ولم يمحض اللَه إيمانه

ولم يمحض اللَه إيمانه

And oh, how wretched is one who lacks reason,

Oh, wretched is he who is not of dignity

and does not devote his faith sincerely to God.

And has not purified his faith for God