1. إنِّي لأَعلم لا أزال معلِّماً

    ومبصِّراً ما دمتُ في الأحياءِ

    Indeed, I know; I never cease teaching,

    And enlightening, as long as I remain among the living.

  2. فأنا النَّصيح فمن يَرُدُّ نصيحتي

    فأعُدُّهُ حقّاً من الجُهلاءِ

    For I am a sincere counselor; whoever rejects my counsel,

    I truly count him among the ignorant.

  3. فأنا الذي عايَشْتُ دهري لابساً

    سبعين عاماً في ذُرَى الحُكماءِ

    For I have lived through my time, clothed

    In seventy years upon the heights of the wise.

  4. من شاءَ منكم أن يُعَمَّرَ سالماً

    من خُطّةٍ يُبْلَى بها شنعاءِ

    Whoever among you wishes to live long, safe

    From a hideous plight by which one is afflicted,

  5. فليأتني فأنا ابن نجدتها ولم

    يأْنَفْ وَيْنأَ الحقُّ من آرائى

    Let him come to me, for I am its valor's son, and never

    Has truth recoiled or kept aloof from my views.

  6. من شَكَّ في نُصْحي يخالفْ حكمتي

    ونصيحتي في نِقمةٍ وبلاءِ

    Whoever doubts my counsel, opposing my wisdom

    And my advice, faces retribution and affliction.

  7. لا يُبتَغَي التزويج للغُرَباء

    في دار غُرْبتهم من البُعَداءِ

    Marriage should not be sought for those abroad,

    In their land of exile, among distant folk,

  8. إلا إذا شاءَ انتقالا دائماً

    وأصابة شَرٌّ من القُرَباءِ

    Unless one desires a permanent move,

    And evil has befallen him at his kinsmen's hands,

  9. وأراد قطع بلاده وعياله

    ما عاشَ في السَّرَّاء والضّرَّاءِ

    And he wishes to sever ties with his homeland and his family,

    As long as he lives, in prosperity and adversity.

  10. كيف السَّبيل إذا أراد تنقُّلا

    من دار غُرْبته إلى القُرَباءِ

    What course is there if he wishes to move

    From his land of exile to his kin?

  11. يُفنى تنقُّلُه دراهم جَمَّةً

    فانظُر وكن فَهْماً من البُلَغاءِ

    His moving consumes a great many dirhams;

    So reflect, and be discerning among the eloquent.

  12. وإذا خليلَتُه أبَتْ عن رأيهِ

    نزلَ الشِّقاقُ وحان كل شقاءِ

    And if his beloved refuses to accept his view,

    Discord descends, and every misery is at hand.

  13. مَن رأى رأياً واستبدَّ برأيه

    زلّت به قدماه لِلأّواءِ

    Whoever forms an opinion and insists on his own view alone,

    His feet slip beneath him into hardship.

  14. قالَ الإلهُ مقالةً لنبيِّه

    شاوِرْهمُ في الأمر للإبداءِ

    God spoke these words to His prophet:

    Consult them in the matter, so views may be expressed.

  15. وهو الذي أعلى الوَرَى عقلا ولم

    يأْنف وشاورهم بغير مِرَاءِ

    He was the loftiest of humankind in intellect, yet he did not

    Disdain it, but consulted them without dispute.

  16. غادرت قلبي والهاً في حيرةٍ

    ما ذُقْتُ ذلك في صَباً وصَباءِ

    You left my heart distraught, in bewilderment;

    I never tasted that in youth and youthful longing.

  17. وتركْتَني في مَهْمَهٍ ومجاهلٍ

    متحيِّراً في ليلةٍ ظلماءِ

    And you left me in a trackless waste and unknown wilds,

    Bewildered on a pitch-dark night.

  18. لو أن رأْياً ولى بك قُوَّةٌ

    لَشَفيت صدرى في بلوغ مُنائى

    If I had a plan and, through you, some strength,

    I would surely heal my breast by attaining my wishes.

  19. لكنَّ لي حِلْماً يُسَكِّنُ لوعتي

    بنصيحةٍ وبحكمةٍ وذكاءٍ

    But I have forbearance that calms my anguish,

    With counsel, wisdom, and intelligence.

  20. من لا يريدك لا تُرِد تزويجه

    أبداً وإن يك أقرب القُرَباءِ

    Do not wish to marry anyone who does not want you,

    Ever, even if they are the closest of kin.

  21. وإذا أردتَ من النِّساءِ خريدةً

    فأنظر إليها نظرة الحُكماءِ

    And if you desire a chaste maiden among women,

    Then look upon her with the gaze of the wise.

  22. لا تنظرنَّ محرَّماً منهما ولو

    ظُفراً فلم يصلح مع الفُقَهاءِ

    Never look at anything forbidden on either of them, even

    A fingernail; the jurists do not deem it proper.

  23. فإذا وجَدْتَ لها بقلبك موضِعاً

    أقدم إلى تزويجها برجاءِ

    Then, if you find a place for her in your heart,

    Proceed toward marrying her with hope.

  24. واختر لولدك صاح أمَّا حُرَّةً

    آباؤها من سادةٍ صُلَحاءِ

    And choose for your child, friend, a freeborn mother,

    Whose forefathers are righteous noblemen.

  25. وكذلك الأُمَّاتُ والخالاتُ لا

    تُسْقِط ميارفها مع البُعَداءِ

    And likewise her mothers and maternal aunts; do not

    Disregard her [connections?] among distant folk.

  26. فالعِرْقُ دَسَّاسٌ لقول نبيِّنا

    لا تغتَرَّ بالغادةِ الحسناءِ

    For lineage creeps unseen, as our Prophet said;

    Do not be beguiled by the beautiful, graceful maiden.

  27. فلعلَّ تحت الحُسن قُبح طبائع

    تَسقيك سُمَّا ناقِعاً بالماءِ

    For beneath beauty there may be ugliness of character,

    That gives you deadly poison to drink in water.

  28. لم تلق في دُنياكَ أعظم فَرْحَةً

    ومسَرَّةً من زوجةٍ حسناءِ

    You have found no greater joy in your life

    And delight than with a beautiful wife—

  29. حسناءِ وجهٍ ثم حُسن شمائل

    تُصْفيك وُدّاً من سَناً وسَناءِ

    Beautiful of face, then beautiful in character,

    Who gives you pure affection, springing from radiance and splendor.

  30. إيِّاك والحسن المفرِّط إنه

    مَرْعَى العُيون وغاية اللأّواءِ

    Beware of excessive beauty, for it is

    A pasture for the eyes and the height of hardship.

  31. واحذر مقابح أوجُه لا تَبْغِها

    فهي القَذَى للهِمَّةِ الجمَّاءِ

    And beware of ugly faces; do not seek them,

    For they are a mote in the eye of boundless ambition.

  32. واحذر مقارنة الثقيل فإنه

    داءُ العقول ومِحْنة العُقلاءِ

    And beware of keeping company with a tiresome person, for he is

    A disease of minds and a trial for the wise.

  33. إيَّاك والحمقى فلا تَسْلُك لها

    طُرُقاً فمن في الشَّرِّ كالحمقاءِ

    Beware of foolish women; do not make your way to one

    Along any paths—for who is as evil as a foolish woman?

  34. فالحمق داءٌ لا دواءَ لبُرْئه

    أبداً ولو دُووِى بكل دواءِ

    For foolishness is a disease for which there is no remedy,

    Ever, even if treated with every medicine.

  35. ومن المحال رضَى الجميع فإنه

    داءٌ عُضالٌ صار في الإعياءِ

    And pleasing everyone is impossible, for it is

    An intractable disease that ends in exhaustion.

  36. إن كنتَ تبغي راحةً وفلاحةً

    فاقنع بواحدةٍ تَعِشْ برجاءِ

    If you seek ease and success,

    Be content with one woman, and you will live in hope.

  37. عِشْ واحدا عَزِباً ولا تجمعُهما

    إن كنتَ صاحب فِطنة وذكاءِ

    Live alone, unmarried, and do not bring the two together,

    If you possess discernment and intelligence.

  38. لا تلبثنْ يوماً بغير حليلة

    إن العُزوبة حِرْفَةُ الغوغاءِ

    Never remain a day without a wife;

    Indeed, bachelorhood is the trade of the rabble.

  39. قالَ النبيُّ فشَرُّكُم عُزَّابكم

    وخياركم من يقتفى آرائى

    The Prophet said: the worst of you are your unmarried men,

    And the best of you are those who follow my views.

  40. وعليكمُ قُرْبُ الصِّغار فإنها

    نِعْمُ الضَّجيعُ وراحَةُ الحَوْباءِ

    And seek closeness to young women, for such a woman is

    An excellent bedfellow and comfort for the soul.

  41. هي أطيبُ النِّسوان أفواها بلا

    شكٍّ وأحسنها بغير مِرَاءِ

    She is the sweetest-mouthed of women, without

    Doubt, and the fairest of them, without dispute.

  42. فافهم فَهِمْتَ مقالتي فأنا الذي

    بالنُّصح يرجو الخير للأبناءِ

    So understand—may you understand—my words; for I am the one

    Who, through counsel, hopes for the children's welfare.

  43. فاللّهَ أسألُه بأن يُنْجيك من

    هذي الشدائد غَدْوَتي ومسائي

    So I ask God to deliver you from

    These hardships, in my morning and my evening.

  44. وعليك من أخويك ألف تحيَّة

    ما لاحَ برق في عُلُوِّ سماءِ

    And to you, from your two brothers, a thousand greetings,

    As long as lightning flashes in the heights of the sky.