ولرب ذي علم وخلف جاهلاً

ولرب ذي علم وخلف جاهلاً

أعيا به سيراً مع النجباء

أعيا به سيراً مع النجباء

Many a learned man has fathered an ignorant son,

And the learned may give birth to an ignorant one

And worn himself out trying to make him keep pace with the gifted.

Whom the eminent find tiresome company

أسباب خيبته محبة أمه

أسباب خيبته محبة أمه

ومن البلاء محبة الجهلاء

ومن البلاء محبة الجهلاء

His mother's love is the cause of his failure,

The cause of his failure was his mother's love

And the love of the ignorant is an affliction.

And the love of fools is but an affliction

يأتي العيوب فلا تذيع عيوبه

يأتي العيوب فلا تذيع عيوبه

لأبيه بل تعنيه بالإطراء

لأبيه بل تعنيه بالإطراء

He commits faults, yet she does not disclose his faults

When faults appear do not broadcast them

To his father; instead, she singles him out for lavish praise.

Rather praise his father to help him

لبس الشماتة في نزول الفقر بالآباء

لبس الشماتة في نزول الفقر بالآباء

لكن خيبة الأبناء

لكن خيبة الأبناء

Gloating is not over poverty befalling fathers [reading an apparent typo as 'is not'],

Do not gloat when poverty befalls parents

But over the failure of sons.

But children's failure