Sol 6.1

  1. إنِّي لأَعلم لا أزال معلِّماً

    ومبصِّراً ما دمتُ في الأحياءِ

    Indeed, I know; I shall remain a teacher,

    And an enlightener as long as I am among the living.

  2. فأنا النَّصيح فمن يَرُدُّ نصيحتي

    فأعُدُّهُ حقّاً من الجُهلاءِ

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

    I count him truly 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 with which he might be afflicted,

  5. فليأتني فأنا ابن نجدتها ولم

    يأْنَفْ وَيْنأَ الحقُّ من آرائى

    Let him come to me: I am equal to it, and never

    Has truth disdained my views or kept away from them.

  6. من شَكَّ في نُصْحي يخالفْ حكمتي

    ونصيحتي في نِقمةٍ وبلاءِ

    Whoever doubts my counsel and defies my wisdom

    And my advice will face punishment and affliction.

  7. لا يُبتَغَي التزويج للغُرَباء

    في دار غُرْبتهم من البُعَداءِ

    Marriage should not be sought by those abroad

    In their land of exile, among distant strangers,

  8. إلا إذا شاءَ انتقالا دائماً

    وأصابة شَرٌّ من القُرَباءِ

    Unless a man desires a permanent move,

    And harm has befallen him from his kin,

  9. وأراد قطع بلاده وعياله

    ما عاشَ في السَّرَّاء والضّرَّاءِ

    And he wishes to sever ties with his homeland and family

    For as long as he lives, in prosperity and adversity.

  10. كيف السَّبيل إذا أراد تنقُّلا

    من دار غُرْبته إلى القُرَباءِ

    What way is there if he wishes to move

    From his land of exile back to his kin?

  11. يُفنى تنقُّلُه دراهم جَمَّةً

    فانظُر وكن فَهْماً من البُلَغاءِ

    His journeys consume a great many dirhams;

    So consider, and be discerning among the eloquent.

  12. وإذا خليلَتُه أبَتْ عن رأيهِ

    نزلَ الشِّقاقُ وحان كل شقاءِ

    And if his beloved rejects his opinion,

    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 view alone,

    His feet slip, bringing him to hardship.

  14. قالَ الإلهُ مقالةً لنبيِّه

    شاوِرْهمُ في الأمر للإبداءِ

    God spoke these words to His Prophet:

    Consult them in the matter, so that views may be voiced.

  15. وهو الذي أعلى الوَرَى عقلا ولم

    يأْنف وشاورهم بغير مِرَاءِ

    And he, the loftiest of humankind in intellect, 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 or youthful passion.

  17. وتركْتَني في مَهْمَهٍ ومجاهلٍ

    متحيِّراً في ليلةٍ ظلماءِ

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

    Bewildered on a dark night.

  18. لو أن رأْياً ولى بك قُوَّةٌ

    لَشَفيت صدرى في بلوغ مُنائى

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

    I would have healed my breast by attaining my desires.

  19. لكنَّ لي حِلْماً يُسَكِّنُ لوعتي

    بنصيحةٍ وبحكمةٍ وذكاءٍ

    But I have forbearance that stills my anguish,

    Through counsel, wisdom, and intelligence.

  20. من لا يريدك لا تُرِد تزويجه

    أبداً وإن يك أقرب القُرَباءِ

    Do not seek to marry one who does not want you,

    Ever, even if the closest of kin.

  21. وإذا أردتَ من النِّساءِ خريدةً

    فأنظر إليها نظرة الحُكماءِ

    And if you desire a maiden from 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 upon what is forbidden of either of them, even

    A fingernail; this is not acceptable to the jurists.

  23. فإذا وجَدْتَ لها بقلبك موضِعاً

    أقدم إلى تزويجها برجاءِ

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

    Go forward to marry her with hope.

  24. واختر لولدك صاح أمَّا حُرَّةً

    آباؤها من سادةٍ صُلَحاءِ

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

    Whose forefathers are among righteous nobles.

  25. وكذلك الأُمَّاتُ والخالاتُ لا

    تُسْقِط ميارفها مع البُعَداءِ

    Likewise the mothers and maternal aunts; do not

    Diminish her [unclear attribute] among distant strangers.

  26. فالعِرْقُ دَسَّاسٌ لقول نبيِّنا

    لا تغتَرَّ بالغادةِ الحسناءِ

    For lineage works in hidden ways, as our Prophet said;

    Do not be deceived by a beautiful young woman.

  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 with water.

  28. لم تلق في دُنياكَ أعظم فَرْحَةً

    ومسَرَّةً من زوجةٍ حسناءِ

    You have found no greater joy in your life

    Or delight than a beautiful wife:

  29. حسناءِ وجهٍ ثم حُسن شمائل

    تُصْفيك وُدّاً من سَناً وسَناءِ

    Beautiful of face, and also fair of character,

    Who gives you pure affection, with radiance and nobility.

  30. إيِّاك والحسن المفرِّط إنه

    مَرْعَى العُيون وغاية اللأّواءِ

    Beware excessive beauty, for it is

    A pasture for the eyes and the utmost hardship.

  31. واحذر مقابح أوجُه لا تَبْغِها

    فهي القَذَى للهِمَّةِ الجمَّاءِ

    And beware ugly faces; do not seek them,

    For they are grit in the eye of soaring aspiration.

  32. واحذر مقارنة الثقيل فإنه

    داءُ العقول ومِحْنة العُقلاءِ

    And beware companionship with the tiresome man, for he is

    A sickness of minds and a trial for the wise.

  33. إيَّاك والحمقى فلا تَسْلُك لها

    طُرُقاً فمن في الشَّرِّ كالحمقاءِ

    Beware foolish women, and do not follow

    Their paths; who rivals a foolish woman in evil?

  34. فالحمق داءٌ لا دواءَ لبُرْئه

    أبداً ولو دُووِى بكل دواءِ

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

    Ever, even if treated with every remedy.

  35. ومن المحال رضَى الجميع فإنه

    داءٌ عُضالٌ صار في الإعياءِ

    And pleasing everyone is impossible, for it is

    An incurable disease that brings exhaustion.

  36. إن كنتَ تبغي راحةً وفلاحةً

    فاقنع بواحدةٍ تَعِشْ برجاءِ

    If you seek comfort and prosperity,

    Be content with one woman, and 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

    Do not remain a single day without a wife;

    For bachelorhood is the occupation of the rabble.

  39. قالَ النبيُّ فشَرُّكُم عُزَّابكم

    وخياركم من يقتفى آرائى

    The Prophet said: the worst of you are your bachelors,

    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 she 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, beyond dispute.

  42. فافهم فَهِمْتَ مقالتي فأنا الذي

    بالنُّصح يرجو الخير للأبناءِ

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

    Who, through counsel, hopes for good for the children.

  43. فاللّهَ أسألُه بأن يُنْجيك من

    هذي الشدائد غَدْوَتي ومسائي

    So I ask God to save you from

    These hardships, in my mornings and evenings.

  44. وعليك من أخويك ألف تحيَّة

    ما لاحَ برق في عُلُوِّ سماءِ

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

    As long as lightning flashes high in the sky.