الأمثال 26

١ 1 الْكَرَامَةُ لَا تَلِيقُ بِالْجَاهِلِ، فَهِيَ كَالثَّلْجِ فِي الصَّيْفِ، وَكَالْمَطَرِ فِي مَوْسِمِ الْحَصَادِ.

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour [is] not comely for a fool.

٢ 2 اللَّعْنَةُ مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ لَا تَسْتَقِرُّ، فَهِيَ كَالْعُصْفُورِ الْحَائِمِ وَالْيَمَامَةِ الطَّائِرَةِ.

As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come.

٣ 3 السَّوْطُ لِلْفَرَسِ، وَاللِّجَامُ لِلْحِمَارِ، وَالْعَصَا لِظُهُورِ الْجُهَّالِ.

A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.

٤ 4 لَا تُجِبِ الْجَاهِلَ بِمِثْلِ حُمْقِهِ لِئَلّا تُصْبِحَ مِثْلَهُ.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him — even thou.

٥ 5 رُدَّ عَلَى الْجَاهِلِ حَسَبَ جَهْلِهِ لِئَلّا يَضْحَى حَكِيماً فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ.

Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

٦ 6 مَنْ يَبْعَثُ بِرِسَالَةٍ عَلَى فَمِ جَاهِلٍ يَكُونُ كَمَنْ يَبْتُرُ الرِّجْلَيْنِ أَوْ يَجْرَعُ الظُّلْمَ.

He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool.

٧ 7 الْمَثَلُ فِي فَمِ الْجُهَّالِ كَسَاقَيِ الأَعْرَجِ الْمُرْتَخِيَتَيْنِ.

Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

٨ 8 مَثَلُ مَنْ يُكْرِمُ الْجَاهِلَ كَمَثَلِ مَنْ يَضْرِبُ حَجَراً فِي مِقْلاعٍ (وَيَقْذِفُهُ بَعِيداً).

As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So [is] he who is giving honour to a fool.

٩ 9 الْمَثَلُ فِي فَمِ الْجُهَّالِ كَشَوْكٍ فِي يَدِ سَكْرَانٍ.

A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

١٠ 10 مَنْ يَسْتَأْجِرُ الْجَاهِلَ أَوْ أَيَّ عَابِرِ طَرِيقٍ، يَكُونُ كَرَامِي سِهَامٍ، يُصِيبُ عَلَى غَيْرِ هُدىً.

Great [is] the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.

١١ 11 كَمَا يَعُودُ الْكَلْبُ إِلَى قَيْئِهِ، هَكَذَا يَعُودُ الْجَاهِلُ لِيَرْتَكِبَ حَمَاقَتَهُ.

As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

١٢ 12 أَشَاهَدْتَ رَجُلاً مُعْتَزّاً بِحِكْمَتِهِ؟ إِنَّ لِلْجَاهِلِ رَجَاءً فِي الإِصْلاحِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ.

Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!

١٣ 13 يَقُولُ الْكَسُولُ: فِي الطَّرِيقِ أَسَدٌ، وَفِي الشَّوَارِعِ لَيْثٌ.

The slothful hath said, 'A lion [is] in the way, A lion [is] in the broad places.'

١٤ 14 كَمَا يَدُورُ الْبَابُ عَلَى مَفَاصِلِهِ، يَتَقَلَّبُ الْكَسُولُ فِي فِرَاشِهِ.

The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.

١٥ 15 يَدْفِنُ الْكَسُولُ يَدَهُ فِي صَحْفَتِهِ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهَا إِلَى فَمِهِ.

The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.

١٦ 16 الْكَسُولُ أَكْثَرُ حِكْمَةً فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ مِنْ سَبْعَةٍ يُجِيبُونَ بِفِطْنَةٍ.

Wiser [is] the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven [men] returning a reason.

١٧ 17 مَنْ يَتَدَخَّلْ فِي خُصُومَةٍ لَا تَعْنِيهِ يَكُنْ كَمَنْ يَقْبِضُ عَلَى أُذُنَيْ كَلْبٍ عَابِرٍ.

Laying hold on the ears of a dog, [Is] a passer-by making himself wrath for strife not his own.

١٨ 18 كَمَجْنُونٍ يَقْذِفُ شَرَراً وَسِهَاماً وَمَوْتاً،

As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,

١٩ 19 مَنْ يَخْدَعُ قَرِيبَهُ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: كُنْتُ أَمْزَحُ فَقَطْ!

So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, 'Am not I playing?'

٢٠ 20 كَمَا تَخْمَدُ النَّارُ لافْتِقَارِهَا إِلَى الْحَطَبِ، هَكَذَا تَكُفُّ الْخُصُومَةُ حِينَمَا يَغِيبُ النَّمَّامُ.

Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,

٢١ 21 كَمَا أَنَّ الْفَحْمَ يَزِيدُ مِنِ اتِّقَادِ الْجَمْرِ، وَالْحَطَبَ مِنِ اشْتِعَالِ النَّارِ، هَكَذَا صَاحِبُ الْخُصُومَةِ يُضْرِمُ النِّزَاعَ.

Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.

٢٢ 22 هَمَسَاتُ النَّمَّامِ كَلُقَمٍ سَائِغَةٍ تَنْزَلِقُ إِلَى بَوَاطِنِ الْجَوْفِ!

The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.

٢٣ 23 الشَّفَتَانِ الْمُتَوَهِّجَتَانِ وَالْقَلْبُ الشِّرِّيرُ مِثْلُ فِضَّةِ زَغَلٍ تُغَطِّي خَزَفَةً.

Silver of dross spread over potsherd, [Are] burning lips and an evil heart.

٢٤ 24 الرَّجُلُ الْمَاكِرُ يُطْلِي نَوَايَاهُ بِمَعْسُولِ الشِّفَاهِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يُرَاعِي الْحِقْدَ فِي قَلْبِهِ،

By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth deceit,

٢٥ 25 إِنْ تَمَلَّقَكَ بِعُذُوبَةِ حَدِيثِهِ، فَلا تَأْتَمِنْهُ، لأَنَّ قَلْبَهُ مُفْعَمٌ بِسَبْعَةِ صُنُوفٍ مِنَ الرَّجَاسَاتِ.

When his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations [are] in his heart.

٢٦ 26 إِنْ وَارَى حِقْدَهُ بِمَكْرٍ، فَإِنَّ نِفَاقَهُ يُفْتَضَحُ بَيْنَ الْجَمَاعَةِ.

Hatred is covered by deceit, Revealed is its wickedness in an assembly.

٢٧ 27 مَنْ يَحْفِرُ حُفْرَةً لإِيذَاءِ غَيْرِهِ يَقَعُ فِيهَا، وَمَنْ دَحْرَجَ حَجَراً يَرْتَدُّ عَلَيْهِ.

Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And the roller of a stone, to him it turneth.

٢٨ 28 اللِّسَانُ الْكَاذِبُ يَمْقُتُ ضَحَايَاهُ، وَالْفَمُ الْمَلِقُ يُسَبِّبُ خَرَاباً.

A lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!