كِبارُ أُناسٍ مِثلُ جِلَّةِ سائِمٍ

كِبارُ أُناسٍ مِثلُ جِلَّةِ سائِمٍ

يُرَبّونَ أَطفالاً كَما اِرتَضَعَ البُهمُ

يُرَبّونَ أَطفالاً كَما اِرتَضَعَ البُهمُ

The elders among people are like the mature beasts of a grazing herd;

Great men are like a herd of camels

They rear children, just as young livestock suckle.

They raise children as the ostrich raised its young

تَوَهَّمَ بَعضُ الناسِ أَمراً فَأَصَّلوا

تَوَهَّمَ بَعضُ الناسِ أَمراً فَأَصَّلوا

يَقينَ أُمورٍ باتَ يَتبَعُها الوَهمُ

يَقينَ أُمورٍ باتَ يَتبَعُها الوَهمُ

Some people imagined a thing, and so established

Some people imagined something and made it

Certainty about matters that conjecture continued to follow.

A certainty, though it was followed by illusion

جَهِلنا وَلَكِن لِلخلائِقِ صانِعٌ

جَهِلنا وَلَكِن لِلخلائِقِ صانِعٌ

أَقَرَّ بِهِ فَسلٌ مِنَ القَومِ أَو شَهمُ

أَقَرَّ بِهِ فَسلٌ مِنَ القَومِ أَو شَهمُ

We are ignorant, yet creatures have a Maker,

We were ignorant, yet for creatures there is a Maker

Whom men, whether base or noble, acknowledge.

Whose existence a group acknowledged or a solitary one assumed

وَيَعلَمُ كُلٌّ أَنَّ لِلخَيرِ مَوضِعاً

وَيَعلَمُ كُلٌّ أَنَّ لِلخَيرِ مَوضِعاً

وَفَضلاً عَلى إِثباتِهِ أَجمَعَ الدُهَم

وَفَضلاً عَلى إِثباتِهِ أَجمَعَ الدُهَم

And everyone knows that goodness has a place

And everyone knows goodness has a place

And merit, which the multitudes unanimously affirm.

And excelling in establishing it the arrows have gathered

وَأَينَ أُناسٌ كَالسَحائِبِ إِن يُرَوا

وَأَينَ أُناسٌ كَالسَحائِبِ إِن يُرَوا

يَروقوا وَإِن يُستَمطَروا لِلغِنى يَهموا

يَروقوا وَإِن يُستَمطَروا لِلغِنى يَهموا

And where are people like clouds, who, if seen,

And where are people like clouds, if watered

Delight, and, if asked for rain to bring prosperity, pour it down?

They are sated, and if rain is sought from them, they refuse

فَإِن شِئتَ أَن تُحظى بِمالِكَ فَاِحبُهُ

فَإِن شِئتَ أَن تُحظى بِمالِكَ فَاِحبُهُ

ذَوي الحاجِ أَو أَنفِقهُ تَبسُم لَكَ الجُهمُ

ذَوي الحاجِ أَو أَنفِقهُ تَبسُم لَكَ الجُهمُ

So if you wish to win favor through your wealth, bestow it

So if you want your money to bring you joy

Upon those in need, or spend it: the grim-faced will smile at you.

Love the needy or spend it, and worries will smile at you

فَما هُوَ إِلّا السَهمُ لا كَفَّ عادِياً

فَما هُوَ إِلّا السَهمُ لا كَفَّ عادِياً

وَلا نالَ صَيداً في كِنانَتِهِ السَهمُ

وَلا نالَ صَيداً في كِنانَتِهِ السَهمُ

For it is only an arrow: no assailant is repelled,

It is but an arrow, neither stopping nor

Nor any game taken, by an arrow in its quiver.

Catching game in its quiver, the arrow