إِذا عَفَوتَ عَنِ الإِنسانِ سَيِّئَةً

إِذا عَفَوتَ عَنِ الإِنسانِ سَيِّئَةً

فَلا تُرَوِّعهُ تَثريباً وَتَقريعا

فَلا تُرَوِّعهُ تَثريباً وَتَقريعا

If you forgive a person a wrong,

If you pardon a man his misdeed

do not frighten him with reproach and rebuke.

Then do not chastise or rebuke him

وَإِن كُفيتَ عَناءً فَاِجتَنِب كَلَفاً

وَإِن كُفيتَ عَناءً فَاِجتَنِب كَلَفاً

غانٍ عَنِ النَزعِ مُروي الإِبلَ تَشريعا

غانٍ عَنِ النَزعِ مُروي الإِبلَ تَشريعا

And if you are spared hardship, avoid burdensome toil:

And if you spare him hardship

one who waters camels directly has no need to draw water.

Avoid causing him undue trouble

وَالمَرءُ يوجَدُ مِن عُدمٍ وَما نَقَلَت

وَالمَرءُ يوجَدُ مِن عُدمٍ وَما نَقَلَت

عَنهُ الحَوادِثُ مِن عاداتِهِ ريعا

عَنهُ الحَوادِثُ مِن عاداتِهِ ريعا

And man is brought into being from nothing; no record is made

A man's nature stays as it's always been

by events of his departing from his habitual ways.

No matter what life's travails convene

أَن يَألَفِ الهَضبَ لا يَبغِ الوُهودَ بِهِ

أَن يَألَفِ الهَضبَ لا يَبغِ الوُهودَ بِهِ

أَو يَألَف الوَهدَ لا يُؤثَر بِهِ ريعا

أَو يَألَف الوَهدَ لا يُؤثَر بِهِ ريعا

If he grows used to high ground, he seeks no hollows in its place;

He may get used to living on the mountain

or, accustomed to a hollow, he prefers no height instead.

But won't abandon it for an easy terrain

وَفي الضَرورَةِ يُلغى ما تَعَوَّدَهُ

وَفي الضَرورَةِ يُلغى ما تَعَوَّدَهُ

وَالغَفرُ يَأكُلُ في الرَملِ الأَساريعا

وَالغَفرُ يَأكُلُ في الرَملِ الأَساريعا

And in necessity, what he is accustomed to is set aside,

Necessity overrides accustomed ways

and the young ibex eats caterpillars in the sand.

And forgiveness eats paths into the dunes

وَكَيفَ يَطلُبُ عَدلاً مَن غَريزَتُهُ

وَكَيفَ يَطلُبُ عَدلاً مَن غَريزَتُهُ

تُوَلِّدُ الظُلمَ تَثميراً وَتَفريعا

تُوَلِّدُ الظُلمَ تَثميراً وَتَفريعا

And how can one seek justice when his instinct

How can one who is naturally unjust

breeds injustice, making it bear fruit and branch out?

Seek justice, it's not in his fortune

لِكُلِّ حالٍ سَجايا وَالقَريضُ بِنا

لِكُلِّ حالٍ سَجايا وَالقَريضُ بِنا

لا تَقتَضيكَ بِغَيرِ البِدءِ تَصريعا

لا تَقتَضيكَ بِغَيرِ البِدءِ تَصريعا

Each state has its own traits, and verse consists of structures

Every state has its own character

that demand matching half-line rhymes from you only at the opening.

Don't make it do what it didn't commence