1. يا بَدرُ وَالأَمثالُ يَضرِبُها

    لِذي اللُبِّ الحَكيمُ

    O Badr—and proverbs are set forth

    for the discerning by the wise man—

  2. دُم لِلخَليلِ بِوُدِّهِ

    ما خَيرُ وُدِّ لا يَدومُ

    remain steadfast in affection for your friend;

    what good is affection that does not last?

  3. وَاِعرِف لِجارِكَ حَقَّهُ

    وَالحَقُّ يَعرِفُهُ الكَريمُ

    And acknowledge your neighbor's due;

    and the noble man recognizes what is due.

  4. وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ الضَيفَ يَو

    ماً سَوفَ يَحمَدُ أَو يَلومُ

    And know that a guest, one day,

    will praise you or blame you.

  5. وَالناسُ مُبتَنَيانِ مَحْ

    مودُ البِنايَةِ أَو ذَميمُ

    And people are of two builds: praiseworthy

    in construction, or blameworthy.

  6. وَاِعلَم بُنَيَّ فَإِنَّهُ

    بِالعِلمِ يَنتَفِعُ العَليمُ

    And know, my dear son: indeed,

    the knowledgeable man benefits from knowledge.

  7. إِنَّ الأُمورَ دَقيقَها

    مِمّا يَهيجُ لَهُ العَظيمُ

    Indeed, the smallest of affairs

    can set the greatest astir.

  8. وَالتَبلُ مِثلُ الدينِ تُق

    ضاهُ وَقَد يُلوى الغَريمُ

    And vengeance, like a debt, is repaid to you;

    though the creditor may be kept waiting.

  9. وَالبَغيُ يَصرَعُ أَهلَهُ

    وَالظُلمُ مَرتَعُهُ وَخَيمُ

    And aggression fells its practitioners;

    and the pasture of injustice is ruinous.

  10. وَلَقَد يَكونُ لَكَ البَعي

    دُ أَخاً وَيَقطَعُكَ الحَميمُ

    Indeed, a distant man may be your

    brother, while an intimate friend cuts you off.

  11. وَالمَرءُ يُكرَمُ لِلغِنى

    وَيُهانُ لِلعَدَمِ العَديمُ

    A man is honored for wealth,

    and the destitute man is scorned for poverty.

  12. قَد يُقتِرُ الحَوِلُ التَقِيْ

    يُ وَيَكثُرُ الحَمِقُ الأَثيمُ

    The resourceful, devout man may be poor,

    while the sinful fool grows rich.

  13. يُملي لِذاكَ وَيُبتَلى

    هذا فَأَيُّهُما المَضيمُ

    That one is granted respite, while trials befall

    this one—so which of them is wronged?

  14. وَالمَرءُ يَبخَلُ في الحُقو

    قِ وَلِلكَلالَةِ ما يَسيمُ

    A man is miserly about what is due,

    yet the herds he pastures are for collateral heirs.

  15. ما بُخلُ مَن هُوَ لِلمَنو

    نِ وَرَيبِها غَرَضٌ رَجيمُ

    What use is miserliness to one whom Death

    and its vicissitudes target and pelt?

  16. وَيَرى القُرونَ أَمامَهُ

    هَمَدوا كَما هَمَدَ الهَشيمُ

    And he sees the generations before him

    fallen still, as dry brushwood falls still.

  17. وَتُخَرَّبُ الدُنيا فَلا

    بُؤسٌ يَدومٌ وَلا نَعيمُ

    And the world is laid waste: neither

    misery endures nor bliss.

  18. كُلُّ اِمرىءٍ سَتَئيمُ مِن

    هُ العِرسُ أَو مِنها يَئيمُ

    Every man—his wife will be widowed by

    him, or he will be widowed by her.

  19. ما عِلمُ ذي وَلَدٍ أَيُث

    كَلُهُ اَمِ الوَلَدُ اليَتيمُ

    What does a father know: will he be bereaved of

    his child, or will the child be left an orphan?

  20. وَالحَربُ صاحِبُها الصَلي

    بُ عَلى تَلاتِلِها العَزومُ

    And war's companion is the stalwart,

    resolute amid its ordeals,

  21. مَن لا يَمَلُّ ضِراسَها

    وَلَدى الحَقيقَةِ لا يَخيمُ

    who does not weary of its biting combat,

    and at the moment of truth does not flinch.

  22. وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ الحَربَ لا

    يَسطيعُها المَرِحُ السَؤومُ

    And know that war cannot

    be borne by the frivolous man who tires easily.

  23. وَالخَيلُ أَجوَدُها المُنا

    هِبُ عِندَ كَبِّتِها الأَزومُ

    And among horses, the best is the rival racer,

    unflagging amid their headlong charge.