أَمْثَالٌ 26
| كَٱلثَّلْجِ فِي ٱلصَّيْفِ وَكَالْمَطَرِ فِي ٱلْحَصَادِ، هَكَذَا ٱلْكَرَامَةُ غَيْرُ لَائِقَةٍ بِٱلْجَاهِلِ. | ١ 1 |
As dew in harvest, and as rain in summer, so honour is not [seemly] for a fool.
| كَٱلْعُصْفُورِ لِلْفَرَارِ وَكَالسُّنُونَةِ لِلطَّيَرَانِ، كَذَلِكَ لَعْنَةٌ بِلَا سَبَبٍ لَا تَأْتِي. | ٢ 2 |
As birds and sparrows fly, so a curse shall not come upon any one without a cause.
| اَلسَّوْطُ لِلْفَرَسِ وَٱللِّجَامُ لِلْحِمَارِ، وَٱلْعَصَا لِظَهْرِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. | ٣ 3 |
As a whip for a horse, and a goad for an ass, so [is] a rod for a simple nation.
| لَا تُجَاوِبِ ٱلْجَاهِلَ حَسَبَ حَمَاقَتِهِ لِئَلَّا تَعْدِلَهُ أَنْتَ. | ٤ 4 |
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou become like him.
| جَاوِبِ ٱلْجَاهِلَ حَسَبَ حَمَاقَتِهِ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ حَكِيمًا فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ. | ٥ 5 |
Yet answer a fool according to his folly, lest he seem wise in his own conceit.
| يَقْطَعُ ٱلرِّجْلَيْنِ، يَشْرَبُ ظُلْمًا، مَنْ يُرْسِلُ كَلَامًا عَنْ يَدِ جَاهِلٍ. | ٦ 6 |
He that sends a message by a foolish messenger procures for himself a reproach from his own ways.
| سَاقَا ٱلْأَعْرَجِ مُتَدَلْدِلَتَانِ، وَكَذَا ٱلْمَثَلُ فِي فَمِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. | ٧ 7 |
[As well] take away the motion of the legs, as transgression from the mouth of fools.
| كَصُرَّةِ حِجَارَةٍ كَرِيمَةٍ فِي رُجْمَةٍ، هَكَذَا ٱلْمُعْطِي كَرَامَةً لِلْجَاهِلِ. | ٨ 8 |
He that binds up a stone in a sling, is like one that gives glory to a fool.
| شَوْكٌ مُرْتَفِعٌ بِيَدِ سَكْرَانٍ، مِثْلُ ٱلْمَثَلِ فِي فَمِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. | ٩ 9 |
Thorns grow in the hand of a drunkard, and servitude in the hand of fools.
| رَامٍ يَطْعَنُ ٱلْكُلَّ، هَكَذَا مَنْ يَسْتَأْجِرُ ٱلْجَاهِلَ أَوْ يَسْتَأْجِرُ ٱلْمُحْتَالِينَ. | ١٠ 10 |
All the flesh of fools endures much hardship; for their fury is brought to nought.
| كَمَا يَعُودُ ٱلْكَلْبُ إِلَى قَيْئِهِ، هَكَذَا ٱلْجَاهِلُ يُعِيدُ حَمَاقَتَهُ. | ١١ 11 |
As when a dog goes to his own vomit, and becomes abominable, so is fool who returns in his wickedness to his own sin. [There is a shame that brings sin: and there is a shame [that is] glory and grace.]
| أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا حَكِيمًا فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ؟ ٱلرَّجَاءُ بِٱلْجَاهِلِ أَكْثَرُ مِنَ ٱلرَّجَاءِ بِهِ. | ١٢ 12 |
I have seen a man who seemed to himself to be wise; but a fool had more hope than he.
| قَالَ ٱلْكَسْلَانُ: «ٱلْأَسَدُ فِي ٱلطَّرِيقِ، ٱلشِّبْلُ فِي ٱلشَّوَارِعِ!». | ١٣ 13 |
A sluggard when sent on a journey says, [There is] a lion in the ways, and [there are] murderers in the streets.
| اَلْبَابُ يَدُورُ عَلَى صَائِرِهِ، وَٱلْكَسْلَانُ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ. | ١٤ 14 |
As a door turns on the hinge, so does a sluggard on his bed.
| اَلْكَسْلَانُ يُخْفِي يَدَهُ فِي ٱلصَّحْفَةِ، وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهَا إِلَى فَمِهِ. | ١٥ 15 |
A sluggard having hid his hand in his bosom, will not be able to bring it up to his mouth.
| اَلْكَسْلَانُ أَوْفَرُ حِكْمَةً فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ مِنَ ٱلسَّبْعَةِ ٱلْمُجِيبِينَ بِعَقْلٍ. | ١٦ 16 |
A sluggard seems to himself wiser than one who most satisfactorily brings back a message.
| كَمُمْسِكٍ أُذُنَيْ كَلْبٍ، هَكَذَا مَنْ يَعْبُرُ وَيَتَعَرَّضُ لِمُشَاجَرَةٍ لَا تَعْنِيهِ. | ١٧ 17 |
As he that lays hold of a dog's tail, so is he that makes himself the champion of another's cause.
| مِثْلُ ٱلْمَجْنُونِ ٱلَّذِي يَرْمِي نَارًا وَسِهَامًا وَمَوْتًا، | ١٨ 18 |
As those who need correction put forth [fair] words to men, and he that first falls in with the proposal will be overthrown;
| هَكَذَا ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلْخَادِعُ قَرِيبَهُ وَيَقُولُ: «أَلَمْ أَلْعَبْ أَنَا!». | ١٩ 19 |
so are all that lay wait for their own friends, and when they are discovered, say, I did it in jest.
| بِعَدَمِ ٱلْحَطَبِ تَنْطَفِئُ ٱلنَّارُ، وَحَيْثُ لَا نَمَّامَ يَهْدَأُ ٱلْخِصَامُ. | ٢٠ 20 |
With much wood fire increases; but where there is not a double-minded man, strife ceases.
| فَحْمٌ لِلْجَمْرِ وَحَطَبٌ لِلنَّارِ، هَكَذَا ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلْمُخَاصِمُ لِتَهْيِيجِ ٱلنِّزَاعِ. | ٢١ 21 |
A hearth for coals, and wood for fire; and railing man for the tumult of strife.
| كَلَامُ ٱلنَّمَّامِ مِثْلُ لُقَمٍ حُلْوَةٍ فَيَنْزِلُ إِلَى مَخَادِعِ ٱلْبَطْنِ. | ٢٢ 22 |
The words of cunning knaves are soft; but they smite [even] to the inmost parts of the bowels.
| فِضَّةُ زَغَلٍ تُغَشِّي شَقْفَةً، هَكَذَا ٱلشَّفَتَانِ ٱلْمُتَوَقِّدَتَانِ وَٱلْقَلْبُ ٱلشِّرِّيرُ. | ٢٣ 23 |
Silver dishonestly given is to be considered as a potsherd: smooth lips cover a grievous heart.
| بِشَفَتَيْهِ يَتَنَكَّرُ ٱلْمُبْغِضُ، وَفِي جَوْفِهِ يَضَعُ غِشًّا. | ٢٤ 24 |
A weeping enemy promises all things with his lips, but in his heart he contrives deceit.
| إِذَا حَسَّنَ صَوْتَهُ فَلَا تَأْتَمِنْهُ، لِأَنَّ فِي قَلْبِهِ سَبْعَ رَجَاسَاتٍ. | ٢٥ 25 |
Though [thine] enemy intreat thee with a loud voice, consent not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
| مَنْ يُغَطِّي بُغْضَةً بِمَكْرٍ، يَكْشِفُ خُبْثَهُ بَيْنَ ٱلْجَمَاعَةِ. | ٢٦ 26 |
He that hides enmity frames deceit: but being easily discerned, exposes his own sins in the public assemblies.
| مَنْ يَحْفِرُ حُفْرَةً يَسْقُطُ فِيهَا، وَمَنْ يُدَحْرِجُ حَجَرًا يَرْجِعُ عَلَيْهِ. | ٢٧ 27 |
He that digs a pit for his neighbour shall fall into it: and he that rolls a stone, rolls it upon himself.
| اَللِّسَانُ ٱلْكَاذِبُ يُبْغِضُ مُنْسَحِقِيهِ، وَٱلْفَمُ ٱلْمَلِقُ يُعِدُّ خَرَابًا. | ٢٨ 28 |
A lying tongue hates the truth; and an unguarded mouth causes tumults.
