الحمدلله وصل رب — Rifaa Al Tahtawi

الحمدُ لله وصل ربِّ

على النبي وآلهِ والصَّحبِ

Praise be to God; O my Lord, bless

the Prophet, his family, and the Companions.

وبعدُ فالتأديبُ للأبناءِ

آكدُ واجبٍ على الآباءِ

To proceed: the upbringing of children

is the most binding duty upon fathers.

من أجل ذا نظنتُ للتنبيهِ

خمساً وأربعين بيتاً فيه

For this reason I composed, as a reminder,

forty-five verses on the subject,

في نحو ساعتيْن والمولى عَلى

قصدي أعان جلَّ ربي وعلا

in about two hours; and the Lord, with

my intended task, helped me—glorious and exalted is my Lord.

في برِّ والديك بالغْ تغنمْ

لا سيما في العيدِ أو في الموسمْ

Excel in kindness to your parents, and you will prosper,

especially at Eid or during the festive season.

وإن ترْم سرور أمٍ أو أبِ

يوما فكسْبُ العلم خيرُ مكسبِ

And if you seek to bring joy to a mother or father

one day, acquiring knowledge is the finest gain.

من رام عند الناس طُرّاً أن يُحب

فليلتزم حُسنَ السلوك والأدب

Whoever wishes to be loved by all people

should adhere to good conduct and courtesy,

وأن يكون طيبَ السريره

مهذبَّ الأخلاق زاكي السيره

and be pure of heart,

refined in character and virtuous in conduct.

من رامَ بين العالم ارتفاعه

فلْيلزم العفةَ والقناعه

Whoever seeks advancement among people

should hold fast to self-restraint and contentment.

هل ذَلَّ الناس عبدٌ يقنعُ

أو عزَّ سيدٌ لديهم يَطمعُ

Has a contented slave ever been abased among people,

or a grasping master ever been honored among them?

إن رمت أن تشرِّقَ الأولادا

وأن ترى من نَجلك اجتهاداً

If you wish to make children eager,

and to see diligence in your offspring,

فعدْهُ بالإتحافِ يومَ العيدِ

وقدمْ الوعدَ على الوعيدِ

promise him a gift on Eid,

and put promises before threats.

يعاقبُ الجاني بما جناه

وذاك في دنياه أو عقباه

The wrongdoer is punished for what he has done,

whether in this life or the next.

والظلم لا يتركه المولى سُدَى

مآلُ كل ظالمٍ إلى الردى

The Lord does not let injustice go unpunished;

every oppressor's end is ruin.

من رام أن يكتسبَ اللطافه

عليه طولَ الدهر بالنظافه

Whoever wishes to acquire refinement

must keep clean throughout life.

فإنها من شُعب الإيمانِ

تُطلب في الثياب والأبدان

For cleanliness is one of the branches of faith,

required in clothing and bodies.

وشرٌّ أوصافِ الفتى هو الغضبْ

يُفضى إلى ارتكاب ما لا يُرتكبْ

The worst of a young man's traits is anger,

which leads to deeds that ought not be done.

فياله من خَصلةٍ ذميمه

في تركها مصلحةٌ جَسيمه

What a reprehensible trait it is!

Abandoning it brings great benefit.

وقوةُ الرأس مع العنادِ

من أقبح الخِصال في الأولاد

And headstrongness, together with obstinacy,

is among the ugliest traits in children.

والامتثالُ صفةٌ جليله

للودِّ ليس مثلها وسيله

Obedience is a noble quality;

no means of gaining affection equals it.

مما يُعدُّ من صفات الذم

كتمُ الصغير عن أبٍ وأم

Among the traits deemed blameworthy

is a child's concealing from father and mother

سراً حقيراً أو جليلاً بل يجبْ

إبداؤه وعنهما لا يُحتجبْ

a secret, trivial or important; rather, it must

be revealed, not concealed from either of them.

يَطلعُ المولى على ما تعمله

بعلمه لكنه قد يمهله

The Lord knows whatever you do

through His knowledge, though He may grant the doer respite.

ففُزْ بفعل صالح الأعمالِ

تحز صلاح الحال والمآل

So succeed by performing righteous deeds,

and gain well-being now and in your final outcome.

من يعصِ والديه ضلَّ وندمْ

وساءَ حاله وللرشد عَدمْ

Whoever disobeys his parents goes astray and regrets it;

his condition worsens, and he lacks right guidance.

وضاعَ سعيُه وخاب أمله

ما لم يَتُب فلا يضيح عمله

His efforts are wasted, and his hopes are dashed,

unless he repents, so that his deeds are not lost.

وعفةُ الشريف عندض الفقرِ

وصبرُه لعسره مع شكر

The honorable man's restraint in poverty,

and his patience in hardship, joined with gratitude,

خيرُ فضيلة عليها يُحمد

يعقبها اليسْرُ ويبقى السؤُدد

are the finest virtue for which he is praised;

ease follows it, and nobility endures.

والولد الصالحُ عند الأهل

يُحبّ بل يُكرم عند الكل

And a righteous child, among the family,

is loved—indeed, honored by everyone.

يمتاز عن أقرانه في المكتبِ

تشمله بركةُ المؤدب

He excels over his peers at school;

his teacher's blessing embraces him.

فضلُ البنات الشغلُ والتطريزُ

من حوتْ علماً به تفورُ

Girls' merit lies in handiwork and embroidery;

she who gains knowledge of it succeeds

في سائر الأحوال والاحتشامْ

من جنسهن والحيا يُرام

in every circumstance; and modesty

is expected of their sex, as is bashfulness.

الرفقُ بالفقير والضعيف

من حُسن أخلاق الفتى الشريف

Gentleness toward the poor and the weak

is part of a noble young man's good character.

وخرفُ ربِّ العرشِ والمراقبه

أمنٌ من الشر وسُوءٍ العاقبه

And fear of the Lord of the Throne, and watchfulness,

bring safety from evil and a bad end.

من رام نظمه بسلك السُّعَدا

فلْيُسِعدْ الناسَ ليبقى مُسعدا

Whoever wishes to be threaded on the string of the fortunate

should make people happy, that he may remain happy.

يُحبُّ مثلَ ما له لغيره

يُعطى أخاه جانباً من خيره

He wishes for others the same good he has,

and gives his brother a share of his bounty.

يَحسُنُ حفظُ اللوح الصغير

على مرار بل وللكبير

It is good to memorize the small slate's lesson,

repeatedly—indeed, a large one's as well.

يرسخُ في الذهن وليس يُمحا

جرِّبه بالتقسيم واقبل نصحا

It takes root in the mind and is not erased;

try it in sections, and accept advice.

الكبرُ ناشيءٌ عن الحماقه

وما لعاقلٍ عليه طاقه

Arrogance arises from foolishness,

and no sensible person can bear it.

يبغضُ كلُّ الناس ربَّ الكبرِ

وبالرفيع والوضيع يُزرى

Everyone hates the possessor of arrogance,

and high and low alike are held in contempt.

تَستحسنُ الطباعُ وَصفَ الأدبِ

وأحسنُ الآداب آدابُ النبي

Human nature approves of courtesy,

and the finest manners are the Prophet's.

وما سِوى أخلاقه فباطلُ

ومن تحلّى بسواها عاطلُ

Whatever lies outside his character is vain,

and whoever adorns himself with other traits is unadorned.

ولا يليقُ من غلامٍ الطاعه

خروجُ رأيه عن الجماعه

Nor does it befit an obedient boy

to let his opinion depart from the community's.

ففي اجتماع الكلمةِ السلامه

بها يُتَممُ الفتى مَرامه

For safety lies in unity of purpose;

through it a young man fulfills his aim.

والحمدُ لله وصلى اللهُ

على النبي وكلِّ مَنْ والاه

And praise be to God; may God bless

the Prophet and all who are loyal to him.