لاdo not تُعَاشِرْkeep company with ماas long as عِشْتَyou live أَحْمَقَa fool واعْلَمْand know
لا تُعَاشِرْ ما عِشْتَ أَحْمَقَ واعْلَمْ
أَنَّهُthat he فِيin الوُجُودِexistence حَيُّalive كَمَيْتِlike one dead
أَنَّهُ فِي الوُجُودِ حَيُّ كَمَيْتِ
Do not keep company with a fool as long as you live, and know
Do not befriend a fool, for as long as you live,
that in this world he is alive, yet like one dead.
Know that among the living he is like a corpse.
لَيْسَthere is not بَيْنَbetween الْجُنونِmadness وَالْحُمْقِand folly إِلَّاexcept
لَيْسَ بَيْنَ الْجُنونِ وَالْحُمْقِ إِلَّا
مِثْلُthe like of مَاwhat بَيْنَbetween أَدْهَمٍa black horse وَكُمَيْتِand a bay horse
مِثْلُ مَا بَيْنَ أَدْهَمٍ وَكُمَيْتِ
Between madness and folly there is only
There is no difference between madness and folly
a difference like that between a black horse and a bay.
Except what lies between the blind and the mute.