1. شِرَّةُ الأَسبابِ في كُلِّ امرِئٍ

    قُوَّةُ الشَهوةِ ثُمَّ الغَضَبِ

    The vehemence of the causes within every person

    is the power of desire, and then of anger.

  2. فاقطَعَنَّ الأصل تأمَن فَرعَهُ

    كلُّ حالٍ سُبِّبَت من سَبَبِ

    So cut off the root, and be safe from its branch;

    every state is brought about by a cause.

  3. مبدأُ الآلامِ تانِ احذَرهُما

    تنجُ من جمرٍ شديدِ اللَهَبِ

    These two are the source of suffering; beware of them both,

    and you will escape fiercely flaming embers.

  4. كانَتا في آدمٍ من قبلِ أَن

    حُطَّ من عالي سُمُوِّ الرُتَبِ

    They were in Adam before

    he was cast down from the lofty heights of rank,

  5. تحتَ حُكمِ العقلِ في طاعاتهِ

    حاكماً في جُندهِ لم يُغصَبِ

    under reason's rule, in obedience to it,

    ruling among its troops, never dispossessed.

  6. إذ عَصَى اللَهَ عَصَتهُ فاغتدَى

    في نِزاعٍ دائِمٍ مَع نَصَبِ

    When he disobeyed God, it disobeyed him, and he became

    caught in endless strife and toil.

  7. فورثناها بعدلٍ واجبٍ

    أَوجَبَ الأرثَ بأُمٍّ وأَبِ

    So we inherited it under a binding justice

    that decreed inheritance through mother and father,

  8. كجيازي وبنيهِ وَرِثُوا

    بَرَصَ الوالدِ عن حكم النبِي

    as with Gehazi and his sons, who inherited

    the father's leprosy by the prophet's decree.