لا تقرَبنَّ قوارصَ الكَلِم اللوا

لا تقرَبنَّ قوارصَ الكَلِم اللوا

تي هنَّ بالإِبَر الدقيقة اشبَهُ

تي هنَّ بالإِبَر الدقيقة اشبَهُ

Never go near biting words, which

Do not come near those fine-threaded words,

are most like fine needles—

That are like delicate needles,

كَنَظيرِ ما رجلٌ تكهنَّ قائلاً

كَنَظيرِ ما رجلٌ تكهنَّ قائلاً

للطفل وهو بمهدِهِ لا يفقَهُ

للطفل وهو بمهدِهِ لا يفقَهُ

as when a man divined, saying

Like when a man guesses, saying to a child

to a child who, in his cradle, could not understand:

In his cradle, though the child doesn't understand,

عَيناك جامدتانِ مِمّا دَلَّني

عَيناك جامدتانِ مِمّا دَلَّني

أَن انتَ زِنديقٌ وَإِمّا أَبلَهُ

أَن انتَ زِنديقٌ وَإِمّا أَبلَهُ

“Your eyes are motionless, which has shown me

"Your eyes are frozen, which tells me

that you are a heretic, or else a fool.”

That you're either a heretic or a fool."

وهبِ التكهُّنَ ذا يَصحُّ فَما الَّذي

وهبِ التكهُّنَ ذا يَصحُّ فَما الَّذي

يا قَومُ ينتج من كَلامٍ يُكرَهُ

يا قَومُ ينتج من كَلامٍ يُكرَهُ

And suppose this divination is true—what, then,

Put aside such guessing, for if it were right,

O people, comes of unwelcome words?

Then what, my people, would come of hated speech?

لَكِنَّما الرجلُ الكَبيرُ يفيدهُ

لَكِنَّما الرجلُ الكَبيرُ يفيدهُ

قَولٌ كَهَذا اذ بِهِ يتنَبَّهُ

قَولٌ كَهَذا اذ بِهِ يتنَبَّهُ

But a grown man benefits

Rather, what benefits the wise old man

from a saying like this, for it makes him take notice.

Is a saying like this, by which he becomes aware.