1. ما اختيالُ الجَهُول الَّا ظِلالُ

    واحتكامُ الغُرُورِ إلَّا ضَلالُ

    The ignorant fool's swagger is nothing but shadows,

    and conceit's authority is nothing but error.

  2. إِنما دَولةُ الطَعام مَنامٌ

    وكذا صَولةُ اللِئام خَيالُ

    The reign of food is but a dream,

    and likewise the might of the base is an illusion.

  3. من يَكُن خادعاً فلا يَدَّعِ العد

    لَ فإِنَّ العَدُولَ لا يَحتالُ

    Whoever is deceitful must not claim justice;

    for the just person does not scheme.

  4. او يَكُن ثائراً فلا يَزعُمِ الحُبَّ

    فإِنَّ المُحِبَّ لا يَغتالُ

    Or whoever is wrathful must not profess love;

    for one who loves does not kill by treachery.

  5. كلُّ حُكمٍ بغيرِ قِسطٍ وعَدلٍ

    فَهوَ ظُلمٌ وغيلةٌ واغتيالُ

    Every judgment without fairness and justice

    is oppression, treacherous murder, and assassination.

  6. كل شرعٍ قُضِي بغير اقتِضاءِ ال

    حقِّ عدلاً قَضاؤُهُ بَطَّالُ

    Every law adjudicated without upholding

    the right justly has a void judgment.

  7. أَيُّ سِلمٍ يبغي الحُقوقَ فأُخرا

    هُ وان طالَ هَيجةٌ واقتِتالُ

    Any peace that violates rights—its outcome,

    however long it lasts, is turmoil and fighting.

  8. رُبَّ حَربٍ أدنى إلى اللَهِ سِلماً

    من سَلامٍ يكونُ منهُ النِزالُ

    Many a war is a peace nearer to God

    than a peace from which battle arises.

  9. وانفِصالٌ عن المَكارِهِ خيرٌ

    من وِصالٍ يكونُ عنهُ انفِصالُ

    And separation from hardships is better

    than a union that leads to separation.

  10. ان خيراً يزولُ شَرٌّ من الشَرِّ

    الذي ينتهي اليهِ الزَوالُ

    A good that vanishes is worse than the evil

    that vanishing eventually overtakes.

  11. ان تَكُن تسمُلُ العُيونَ فلا تبغِ

    شِيافاً لها فذاك مُحالُ

    If you gouge out eyes, do not seek

    eye salve for them: that is impossible.

  12. أُكحُلِ العينَ قبلَ تَعمى فما تَن

    فَعُ يوماً بعدَ العَمَى الاَكحالُ

    Apply kohl to the eye before it goes blind, for

    eye salves never help once blindness has come.

  13. واعهَدِ الغَرسَ بالرَوا قبلَ وقتٍ

    ليسَ يُجدي بهِ الحَيا الهَطَّالُ

    Tend the planting with water before a time

    when pouring rain can no longer help it.

  14. ما لَوى قلبَ رَحبَعامَ فأَلوَت

    عن لِواهُ أَسباطُهُ واستَمالوا

    What twisted Rehoboam's heart, so that

    his tribes turned from his banner and inclined elsewhere,

  15. ثم حَنُّونَ مَلكَ عَمُّونَ حتى

    حلَّ فيهِ من ابن يسىَّ النِكالُ

    then the heart of Hanun, king of Ammon, until

    punishment from Jesse's son fell upon him,

  16. غيرُ سُوءِ المُشِير من كل وَغدٍ

    ناقصِ الرَأي ما بهِ استِدلالُ

    but the bad counsel of every base adviser,

    deficient in judgment, without sound reasoning,

  17. مُزدَرٍ بالأَنام كِبراً وتِيهاً

    في نُهاهُ عن الصَواب انذِهالُ

    scornful of mankind in pride and arrogance,

    his reason heedless of what is right?

  18. لا تُهِن خاملاً فرُبَّ ضعيفٍ

    تَتَحامى قِتالَهُ الأَبطالُ

    Do not humiliate an obscure man: many a weakling

    has heroes avoid fighting him.

  19. فالبَعوض الضعيفُ أَضعَفُ خَلقٍ

    يَتَّقيهِ الغَضَنفَرُ الرِئبالُ

    For the frail mosquito, weakest of creatures,

    is shunned by the mighty, fierce lion.

  20. وأَذَلُّ الهَوامِ تَنفِرُ منهُ

    حَذَراً من بَلائِهِ الأَفيالُ

    And from the lowliest vermin flee

    the elephants, wary of its harm.

  21. ومن الجهل ان يُلاعَبَ صِلٌّ

    مُهلِكٌ لو تُداعَبَ الأَشبالُ

    And it is ignorance to play with an asp,

    a deadly creature, even if lion cubs may be fondled.

  22. أَيُّها الأَلمعيُّ واللَوذعيُّ ال

    نَدبُ من قد نَحاهُ هذا المَقالُ

    O discerning and quick-witted,

    gallant man, whom this discourse addresses:

  23. هاكَها حِكمةً تَعِزُّ مَنالاً

    عافَ أحكامَ نَيلِها الجُهَّالُ

    Take this wisdom, hard to attain;

    the ignorant have spurned the rules for attaining it.

  24. انَّ مَن يَخفُرُ الذِمامَ خَوونٌ

    ظالم القلب ناهبٌ مُغتالُ

    Whoever violates a pledge is treacherous,

    unjust at heart, a plunderer and a treacherous killer.

  25. ان مَن يُؤثِرُ الغِلابَ على الحقِّ

    عَسُوفٌ بعَسفِه شِملالُ

    Whoever prefers domination to the right

    is oppressive, swift in his oppression.

  26. أَظلَمُ الئالمين ردُّ ظَلُومٍ

    ضُرِبَت في الوَرَى بهِ الأَمثالُ

    The worst of wrongdoers is the peer of a tyrant

    whose example has become proverbial among mankind.

  27. لا تَكُن آمِنَ القَضاءِ بيومٍ

    لك فيهِ كما تَكِيلُ يُكالُ

    Do not feel safe from judgment on a day

    when you are measured as you measure out.

  28. شَرَفُ المَرءِ في العَدالةِ لافي

    مَبلَغ الكَيدِ إِنَّ ذا لَضَلالُ

    A person's honor lies in justice, not in

    the extent of cunning: that is surely error.

  29. لا يَزَينُ النُفوسَ زخرُفُ وَشيٍ

    هكذا لا تَشِينُها الأَسمالُ

    Souls are not adorned by embroidered splendor;

    likewise, they are not disgraced by rags.

  30. لا ولا عِزُّها بإِثراءِ كُثرٍ

    مِثلَما لا يُهِينها الإِقلالُ

    No, nor does their glory lie in great riches,

    just as poverty does not demean them.

  31. لا ولا فخرُها بحَمل اقتِدارٍ

    ما لنفسٍ زَكَت عليهِ احتِمالُ

    No, nor does their pride lie in bearing a power

    that a purified soul cannot bear.

  32. انما الفخرُ للفَتى بمزايا

    صالحاتٍ تَزِينُهنَّ الخِلالُ

    A young man's pride lies only in qualities

    that are good, adorned by character.

  33. من يكن زاكيَ الخلال حكيماً

    ما لهُ عن ذُرى الكَمال انتقالُ

    Whoever is pure in character and wise

    does not depart from the heights of perfection.

  34. فليُؤَاخِ الحِجَى بأَعمال بِر

    رُبَّ عِلمٍ تَزينُهُ الأَعمالُ

    Let him unite understanding with deeds of goodness;

    many a kind of knowledge is adorned by deeds.

  35. كلُّ عِلمٍ يُرَى بغير فِعالٍ

    سالماتٍ فخُدعةٌ واحتِيالُ

    Every kind of knowledge seen without deeds

    that are sound is deception and trickery.

  36. قَمَراً خيلَ كلُّ غيٍّ جَهُولٍ

    فَهوَ طَوراً بَدرٌ وطَوراً هِلالُ

    Every erring fool is imagined as a moon,

    now a full moon, now a crescent.

  37. والحكيمُ النبيهُ يَثبُتُ كالشمسِ

    أَبى ان يَخُولَ عنهُ الكَمالُ

    And the wise, discerning man stands firm like the sun,

    refusing to let perfection depart from him.

  38. رُبَّ مُرضٍ لنفسهِ وَهوَ مُغضٍ

    عن رِضَى اللَه مَن من اليهِ المآلُ

    Many a man pleases himself while shutting his eyes

    to God's pleasure—the One from whom and to whom is the final return.

  39. يا لِراضٍ بفعلهِ غيرِ راضٍ

    عنهُ مولىً تُزَانُ منهُ الفِعالُ

    Alas for one pleased with his deed, yet not pleasing

    to a Lord from whom deeds gain their beauty.

  40. فَلنَسَل قلبَنا الشَهادةَ فينا

    فَهوَ أَحرى لرُشدِنا من يُسالُ

    Let us ask our heart to bear witness about us;

    it is the worthiest to ask for our guidance.

  41. فعلى مَ الخصامُ والقلبُ منا

    فيهِ نارٌ مُبيدةٌ واشتِعالُ

    Why, then, quarrel, when the heart within us

    holds a consuming fire and a blaze?

  42. وإلى مَ العَنا ومن عامل الحِقدِ

    بكلٍّ تنازعٌ واشتِغالُ

    And why this toil, when rancor's influence

    brings strife and preoccupation to everyone?

  43. ان يكن بعضُنا يُحاربُ بعضاً

    والخُصُوماتُ بيننا لا تَزالُ

    If some of us wage war upon others

    and disputes among us never cease,

  44. غايةُ الامرِ ان نَبِيدَ ونَفنى

    بالتغازي وعِقدُنا ينثالُ

    the end of the matter is that we perish and vanish

    through mutual raids, while our necklace falls apart.

  45. أَتُرانا بني جَدِيسٍ وطَسمٍ

    أُمَماً شُرَّداً عفاها القِتالُ

    Do you think us sons of Jadis and Tasm,

    scattered peoples whom fighting erased?

  46. ام وُحوشاً قد يَفرِسُ البعضُ بعضاً

    تُنكِرُ الأُنسَ شأنُها الإِقتِتالُ

    Or beasts, some of which tear others apart,

    rejecting companionship, their business fighting?

  47. ام أُناساً بلا كِتابٍ وشرعٍ

    فسَواءٌ حَرامُها والحَلالُ

    Or people without a scripture or law,

    for whom the forbidden and the lawful are alike?

  48. ام تُرانا خَبَت زِنادُ هُدانا

    فاستَوَى عِندَنا الهُدَى والضلالُ

    Or do you think the flints of our guidance have gone cold,

    so guidance and error have become alike to us?

  49. ام كبا نَهدُ عَزمِنا فانهَوَينا

    لِهَوانا بعَثرةٍ لا تُقالُ

    Or has the mighty steed of our resolve stumbled, so we fell

    into humiliation through a stumble that cannot be remedied?

  50. ام نبا مِنخَسُ الضميرِ فصِرنا

    ليسَ من رادعٍ لما نَختالُ

    Or has conscience's goad failed, leaving us

    with no restraint when we swagger?

  51. ام غدا صارمُ النفوسِ كَهاماً

    إذ تصلَّدنَ واعتَراهُ الكَلالُ

    Or has the sword of souls become blunt,

    as they hardened and weariness overtook it?

  52. يَصدَأُ السيفُ حيثُ ليسَ صِقالٌ

    ويُجيدُ الفِرِندَ منهُ الصِقالُ

    A sword rusts where there is no polishing,

    and polishing perfects its watered pattern.

  53. نحنُ قومٌ أُولُوا شريعةِ فضلٍ

    قد تَناهى بِبِرِّها الإِفضالُ

    We are a people possessed of a law of virtue,

    whose goodness has brought beneficence to its height.

  54. نحن أَبناءُ بِيعةِ اللَهِ أَحرى

    لعداها يكونُ منا النِضالُ

    We are sons of God's Church; more fitting

    is that our struggle be against its enemies.

  55. نحنُ رُسلُ الهُدَى نُبشِّرُ بالحقِّ

    ليَفنَى من دونهِ الإِضلالُ

    We are messengers of guidance, proclaiming the truth,

    so that misguidance may perish before it.

  56. نحن نُورُ الوَرَى فان يَكُنِ النو

    رُ ظلاماً فما الظَلامُ يُخالُ

    We are mankind's light; if the light

    is darkness, what must darkness be thought to be?

  57. أَفما إِنَّ حربَ بابلَ تكفي

    عن أُرَشلِيمَ او يكفُّ القِتالُ

    Does not the war of Babylon suffice

    for Jerusalem, or will the fighting cease?

  58. إِنَّ لأواءَ حُبِّنا الذاتَ سُقمٌ

    مُهلِكُ الروحِ مُعضِلٌ قَتَّالُ

    The hardship of our self-love is a sickness,

    destroying the soul, intractable and deadly.

  59. كلُّ داءٍ لهُ دواءٌ ولكن

    داءُ حُبّ النفوس داءٌ عُضَالُ

    Every disease has a remedy, but

    the disease of self-love is an incurable disease.

  60. لا تَميلُ النُفوسُ للعدلِ إِمَّا

    كانَ فيها لذاتِها تَميالُ

    Souls do not incline toward justice whenever

    they harbor a leaning toward themselves.

  61. واشتِمالُ الجِراح يبدلُ إِمَّا

    كانَ فيها على الفَسادِ اشتِمالُ

    And the binding of wounds is changed when

    they enclose corruption within.

  62. إِن جرحاً فيه الأَذَى ولَئن رُمَّ

    فهَيهاتِ يتلقيهِ اندِمالُ

    Indeed, a wound holding harm, even if repaired,

    is far from being met with healing.

  63. ان للبَغي مَصرَعاً حَينُهُ لا

    بُدَّ منهُ وغِبُّهُ أَهوالُ

    Oppression has a downfall whose doom cannot

    be avoided, and its aftermath is horrors.

  64. لم تَدُم للسَراةِ دولة بَغيٍ

    كيفَ تبغي دَوامَها الأَنذالُ

    A reign of oppression did not last for the noble;

    how can the base seek its continuance?

  65. إنما الحالُ تقتضي حالَ صبرٍ

    لِزَمانٍ تُحِيلهُ الأَحوالُ

    This state calls only for a state of patience

    through a time that changing conditions will transform.

  66. حِكَمٌ قد جَرَت لكل زَمانٍ

    دولةٌ وَفقَ حالهِ ورِجالُ

    Maxims long established: for every age

    a dominion suited to its condition, and its men.

  67. ولكي يَظهَرَ الصفيُّ ويُبلى

    قَمِنٌ ان يَهُزَّنا الغِربالُ

    And that the pure one may emerge and be tested,

    it is fitting that the sieve should shake us.

  68. كلُّ ما فوقَ ذا الثَرَى مستحيلٌ

    بل لكلٍّ تغيُّرٌ وابتدالُ

    Everything above this soil is subject to change;

    indeed, all undergo change and replacement.

  69. ليسَ شيءٌ بثابتِ الحالِ الَّا

    مَن لهُ العِزُّ دائماً والجَلالُ

    Nothing is constant in its state except

    He to whom glory and majesty belong forever.

  70. خالقي عادلٌ وذلك حسبي

    لم يَضِع قطُّ عندهُ مثقالُ

    My Creator is just, and that suffices me;

    no measure of weight has ever been lost with Him.