بَادِر الْفُرْصَةَ وَاحْذَرْ فَوْتَهَا

بَادِر الْفُرْصَةَ وَاحْذَرْ فَوْتَهَا

فَبُلُوغُ الْعِزِّ في نَيْلِ الْفُرَصْ

فَبُلُوغُ الْعِزِّ في نَيْلِ الْفُرَصْ

Hasten to seize the opportunity, and beware of missing it;

Seize the opportunity and beware missing it

For honor is attained by seizing opportunities.

For attaining glory lies in seizing chances

وَاغْتَنِمْ عُمْرَكَ إِبَّانَ الصِّبَا

وَاغْتَنِمْ عُمْرَكَ إِبَّانَ الصِّبَا

فَهْوَ إِنْ زَادَ مَعَ الشَّيْبِ نَقَصْ

فَهْوَ إِنْ زَادَ مَعَ الشَّيْبِ نَقَصْ

And make the most of your life in the season of youth,

Make the most of your youth during adolescence

For even if it lengthens with gray hair, it dwindles.

For if it lasts with old age it suffers loss

إِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا خَيَالٌ عَارِضٌ

إِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا خَيَالٌ عَارِضٌ

قَلَّمَا يَبْقَى وَأَخْبَارٌ تُقَصْ

قَلَّمَا يَبْقَى وَأَخْبَارٌ تُقَصْ

The world is only a passing illusion

Verily this world is a fleeting mirage

That seldom lasts, and tales that are told.

That rarely stays, with stories to recount

تَارَةً تَدْجُو وَطَوْراً تَنْجَلِي

تَارَةً تَدْجُو وَطَوْراً تَنْجَلِي

عَادَةُ الظِّلِّ سَجَا ثُمَّ قَلَصْ

عَادَةُ الظِّلِّ سَجَا ثُمَّ قَلَصْ

At times it darkens, and at others it clears,

At times it flows and at others it recedes

Like the shadow, which settles, then shrinks.

The wont of shade, it stretches then shrinks

فَابْتَدِرْ مَسْعَاكَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَنْ

فَابْتَدِرْ مَسْعَاكَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَنْ

بَادَرَ الصَّيْدَ مَعَ الْفَجْرِ قَنَصْ

بَادَرَ الصَّيْدَ مَعَ الْفَجْرِ قَنَصْ

So hasten in your striving, and know that whoever

So take advantage of your hearing, and know that he

Hastens after game at dawn makes a catch.

Who rose at dawn to hunt, gained success

لَنْ يَنَالَ الْمَرْءُ بِالْعَجْزِ الْمُنَى

لَنْ يَنَالَ الْمَرْءُ بِالْعَجْزِ الْمُنَى

إِنَّمَا الْفَوْزُ لِمَنْ هَمَّ فَنَصْ

إِنَّمَا الْفَوْزُ لِمَنْ هَمَّ فَنَصْ

No one will attain their wishes through helplessness;

No man attains his goal through frustration

Success is only for those who resolve and press ahead.

For triumph is only for one who aspires

يَكْدَحُ الْعَاقِلُ فِي مَأْمَنِهِ

يَكْدَحُ الْعَاقِلُ فِي مَأْمَنِهِ

فَإِذا ضَاقَ بِهِ الأَمْرُ شَخَصْ

فَإِذا ضَاقَ بِهِ الأَمْرُ شَخَصْ

The wise man toils in his safe haven;

The wise man toils in the place of his refuge

Then, when his situation grows difficult, he departs.

And when matters constrict him, he departs

إِنَّ ذَا الْحَاجَةِ مَا لَمْ يَغْتَرِبْ

إِنَّ ذَا الْحَاجَةِ مَا لَمْ يَغْتَرِبْ

عَنْ حِماهُ مِثْلُ طَيْر في قَفَصْ

عَنْ حِماهُ مِثْلُ طَيْر في قَفَصْ

Indeed, a man in need, unless he ventures away

Indeed, the needy one, as long as he remains

From his own domain, is like a bird in a cage.

In his protector's care, is like a caged bird

وَلْيَكُنْ سَعْيُكَ مَجْداً كُلُّهُ

وَلْيَكُنْ سَعْيُكَ مَجْداً كُلُّهُ

إِنَّ مَرْعى الشَّرِّ مَكْرُوهٌ أَحَصْ

إِنَّ مَرْعى الشَّرِّ مَكْرُوهٌ أَحَصْ

And let all your striving be for glory;

And let your effort be wholly honorable

Indeed, evil's pasture is loathsome and barren.

For the pasture of evil is hated indeed

وَاتْرُكِ الْحِرْصَ تَعِشْ فِي رَاحَةٍ

وَاتْرُكِ الْحِرْصَ تَعِشْ فِي رَاحَةٍ

قَلَّمَا نَالَ مُنَاهُ مَنْ حَرَصْ

قَلَّمَا نَالَ مُنَاهُ مَنْ حَرَصْ

And abandon greed; you will live at ease.

And leave greed to live in comfort

Seldom does one who is greedy attain his wishes.

Rarely attains his purpose he who covets

قَدْ يَضُرُّ الشَّيءُ تَرْجُو نَفْعَهُ

قَدْ يَضُرُّ الشَّيءُ تَرْجُو نَفْعَهُ

رُبَّ ظَمْآنَ بِصَفْوِ الْمَاءِ غَصْ

رُبَّ ظَمْآنَ بِصَفْوِ الْمَاءِ غَصْ

A thing whose benefit you hope for may harm you;

That which you hope will benefit you

Many a thirsty person has choked on clear water.

May sometimes harm, many choked from pure water

مَيِّزِ الأَشْيَاءَ تَعْرِفْ قَدْرَهَا

مَيِّزِ الأَشْيَاءَ تَعْرِفْ قَدْرَهَا

لَيْسَتِ الْغُرَّةُ مِنْ جِنْسِ الْبَرَصْ

لَيْسَتِ الْغُرَّةُ مِنْ جِنْسِ الْبَرَصْ

Distinguish things, and you will know their worth;

Distinguish between things to know their value

A white forehead blaze is not the same as vitiligo.

Innocence is not like leprosy

وَاجْتَنِبْ كُلَّ غَبِيِّ مَائِقٍ

وَاجْتَنِبْ كُلَّ غَبِيِّ مَائِقٍ

فَهْوَ كَالْعَيْرِ إِذَا جَدَّ قَمَصْ

فَهْوَ كَالْعَيْرِ إِذَا جَدَّ قَمَصْ

And shun every dull-witted fool;

And avoid every foolish transgressor

For he is like an ass: when he exerts himself, he bucks.

For he is like a camel, if he runs, he stumbles

إِنَّمَا الْجَاهِلُ فِي الْعَيْنِ قَذَىً

إِنَّمَا الْجَاهِلُ فِي الْعَيْنِ قَذَىً

حَيْثُمَا كَانَ وَفِي الصَّدْرِ غَصَصْ

حَيْثُمَا كَانَ وَفِي الصَّدْرِ غَصَصْ

The ignorant man is only grit in the eye,

Verily the ignorant are but motes in the eye

Wherever he is, and choking anguish in the breast.

Wherever they are, and spears in the chest

وَاحْذَرِ النَّمَّامَ تَأْمَنْ كَيْدَهُ

وَاحْذَرِ النَّمَّامَ تَأْمَنْ كَيْدَهُ

فَهْوَ كَالْبُرْغُوثِ إِنْ دَبَّ قَرَصْ

فَهْوَ كَالْبُرْغُوثِ إِنْ دَبَّ قَرَصْ

And beware the talebearer; you will be safe from his plots.

And beware the gossip, to be safe from his plots

For he is like a flea: if it crawls, it bites.

For he is a flea, if he bites, he stings

يَرْقُبُ الشَّرَّ فَإِنْ لاحَتْ لَهُ

يَرْقُبُ الشَّرَّ فَإِنْ لاحَتْ لَهُ

فُرْصَةٌ تَصْلُحُ لِلْخَتْلِ فَرَصْ

فُرْصَةٌ تَصْلُحُ لِلْخَتْلِ فَرَصْ

He watches for evil; if there appears to him

He watches for evil, and if he spies

An opening fit for deceit, he bites.

An opportunity fit for backstabbing, he dances

سَاكِنُ الأَطْرَافِ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ

سَاكِنُ الأَطْرَافِ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ

إِنْ رَأَى مَنْشَبَ أُظْفُورٍ رَقَصْ

إِنْ رَأَى مَنْشَبَ أُظْفُورٍ رَقَصْ

He is still of limb, except that

Still of limb unless he sees the claws

If he sees a place to sink a fingernail, he dances.

Of a vicious cat, then he prances

وَاخْتَبِرْ مَنْ شِئْتَ تَعْرِفهُ فَمَا

وَاخْتَبِرْ مَنْ شِئْتَ تَعْرِفهُ فَمَا

يَعْرِفُ الأَخْلاقَ إِلَّا مَنْ فَحَصْ

يَعْرِفُ الأَخْلاقَ إِلَّا مَنْ فَحَصْ

And test whomever you wish; you will know him, for none

And test whoever you wish, to know them

Knows character except one who has examined it.

For none knows character but he who probes

هَذِهِ حِكْمَةُ كَهْلٍ خَابِرٍ

هَذِهِ حِكْمَةُ كَهْلٍ خَابِرٍ

فَاقْتَنِصْهَا فَهِيَ نِعْمَ الْمُقْتَنَصْ

فَاقْتَنِصْهَا فَهِيَ نِعْمَ الْمُقْتَنَصْ

This is the wisdom of an experienced middle-aged man;

Such is the wisdom of an experienced elder

So capture it, for it is an excellent catch.

So glean it, for it is a fine harvest