< أَمْثَالٌ 27 >
لَا تَفْتَخِرْ بِٱلْغَدِ لِأَنَّكَ لَا تَعْلَمُ مَاذَا يَلِدُهُ يَوْمٌ. | ١ 1 |
Boast not of to-morrow; for you know not what the next day shall bring forth.
لِيَمْدَحْكَ ٱلْغَرِيبُ لَا فَمُكَ، ٱلْأَجْنَبِيُّ لَا شَفَتَاكَ. | ٢ 2 |
Let your neighbour, and not your own mouth, praise you; a stranger, and not your own lips.
اَلْحَجَرُ ثَقِيلٌ وَٱلرَّمْلُ ثَقِيلٌ، وَغَضَبُ ٱلْجَاهِلِ أَثْقَلُ مِنْهُمَا كِلَيْهِمَا. | ٣ 3 |
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
اَلْغَضَبُ قَسَاوَةٌ وَٱلسَّخَطُ جُرَافٌ، وَمَنْ يَقِفُ قُدَّامَ ٱلْحَسَدِ؟ | ٤ 4 |
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
اَلتَّوْبِيخُ ٱلظَّاهِرُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلْحُبِّ ٱلْمُسْتَتِرِ. | ٥ 5 |
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
أَمِينَةٌ هِيَ جُرُوحُ ٱلْمُحِبِّ، وَغَاشَّةٌ هِيَ قُبْلَاتُ ٱلْعَدُوِّ. | ٦ 6 |
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
اَلنَّفْسُ ٱلشَّبْعَانَةُ تَدُوسُ ٱلْعَسَلَ، وَلِلنَّفْسِ ٱلْجَائِعَةِ كُلُّ مُرٍّ حُلْوٌ. | ٧ 7 |
A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
مِثْلُ ٱلْعُصْفُورِ ٱلتَّائِهِ مِنْ عُشِّهِ، هَكَذَا ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلتَّائِهُ مِنْ مَكَانِهِ. | ٨ 8 |
As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.
اَلدُّهْنُ وَٱلْبَخُورُ يُفَرِّحَانِ ٱلْقَلْبَ، وَحَلَاوَةُ ٱلصَّدِيقِ مِنْ مَشُورَةِ ٱلنَّفْسِ. | ٩ 9 |
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
لَا تَتْرُكْ صَدِيقَكَ وَصَدِيقَ أَبِيكَ، وَلَا تَدْخُلْ بَيْتَ أَخِيكَ فِي يَوْمِ بَلِيَّتِكَ. ٱلْجَارُ ٱلْقَرِيبُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلْأَخِ ٱلْبَعِيدِ. | ١٠ 10 |
Your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not; and when you are in distress go not into your brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
يَا ٱبْنِي، كُنْ حَكِيمًا وَفَرِّحْ قَلْبِي، فَأُجِيبَ مَنْ يُعَيِّرُنِي كَلِمَةً. | ١١ 11 |
Son, be wise, that your heart may rejoice; and remove you from yourself reproachful words.
ٱلذَّكِيُّ يُبْصِرُ ٱلشَّرَّ فَيَتَوَارَى. ٱلْأَغْبِيَاءُ يَعْبُرُونَ فَيُعَاقَبُونَ. | ١٢ 12 |
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
خُذْ ثَوْبَهُ لِأَنَّهُ ضَمِنَ غَرِيبًا، وَلِأَجْلِ ٱلْأَجَانِبِ ٱرْتَهِنَ مِنْهُ. | ١٣ 13 |
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
مَنْ يُبَارِكُ قَرِيبَهُ بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ فِي ٱلصَّبَاحِ بَاكِرًا، يُحْسَبُ لَهُ لَعْنًا. | ١٤ 14 |
Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
اَلْوَكْفُ ٱلْمُتَتَابِعُ فِي يَوْمٍ مُمْطِرٍ، وَٱلْمَرْأَةُ ٱلْمُخَاصِمَةُ سِيَّانِ، | ١٥ 15 |
On a stormy day drops [of rain] drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman [drive a man] out of his own house.
مَنْ يُخَبِّئُهَا يُخَبِّئُ ٱلرِّيحَ وَيَمِينُهُ تَقْبِضُ عَلَى زَيْتٍ! | ١٦ 16 |
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
ٱلْحَدِيدُ بِٱلْحَدِيدِ يُحَدَّدُ، وَٱلْإِنْسَانُ يُحَدِّدُ وَجْهَ صَاحِبِهِ. | ١٧ 17 |
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
مَنْ يَحْمِي تِينَةً يَأْكُلُ ثَمَرَتَهَا، وَحَافِظُ سَيِّدِهِ يُكْرَمُ. | ١٨ 18 |
He that plants a fig tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honoured.
كَمَا فِي ٱلْمَاءِ ٱلْوَجْهُ لِلْوَجْهِ، كَذَلِكَ قَلْبُ ٱلْإِنْسَانِ لِلْإِنْسَانِ. | ١٩ 19 |
As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
اَلْهَاوِيَةُ وَٱلْهَلَاكُ لَا يَشْبَعَانِ، وَكَذَا عَيْنَا ٱلْإِنْسَانِ لَا تَشْبَعَانِ. (Sheol ) | ٢٠ 20 |
Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. [He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.] (Sheol )
اَلْبُوطَةُ لِلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْكُورُ لِلذَّهَبِ، كَذَا ٱلْإِنْسَانُ لِفَمِ مَادِحِهِ. | ٢١ 21 |
Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.
إِنْ دَقَقْتَ ٱلْأَحْمَقَ فِي هَاوُنٍ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّمِيذِ بِمِدَقٍّ، لَا تَبْرَحُ عَنْهُ حَمَاقَتُهُ. | ٢٢ 22 |
Though you scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, you will [still] in no wise remove his folly from him.
مَعْرِفَةً ٱعْرِفْ حَالَ غَنَمِكَ، وَٱجْعَلْ قَلْبَكَ إِلَى قُطْعَانِكَ، | ٢٣ 23 |
Do you thoroughly know the number of your flock, and pay attention to your herds.
لِأَنَّ ٱلْغِنَى لَيْسَ بِدَائِمٍ، وَلَا ٱلتَّاجُ لِدَوْرٍ فَدَوْرٍ. | ٢٤ 24 |
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
فَنِيَ ٱلْحَشِيشُ وَظَهَرَ ٱلْعُشْبُ وَٱجْتَمَعَ نَبَاتُ ٱلْجِبَالِ. | ٢٥ 25 |
Take care of the herbage in the field, and you shall cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
ٱلْحُمْلَانُ لِلِبَاسِكَ، وَثَمَنُ حَقْلٍ أَعْتِدَةٌ. | ٢٦ 26 |
that you may have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that you may have lambs.
وَكِفَايَةٌ مِنْ لَبَنِ ٱلْمَعْزِ لِطَعَامِكَ، لِقُوتِ بَيْتِكَ وَمَعِيشَةِ فَتَيَاتِكَ. | ٢٧ 27 |
[My] son, you have from me words very useful for your life, and for the life of your servants.