القراءة بلغتين

كالثَّلجِ في الصَّيفِ والمَطَرِ في الحَصاد هٰكذا لا يَليقُ المَجدُ بِالجاهِل

كالعُصْفورِ الهارِبِ والسُّنونُو الطَّائِر هٰكذا اللَّعنَةُ بِلا سَبَبٍ لا تُصيب

لِلفَرَسِ السَّوطُ ولِلحِمارِ اللِّجام ولِظُهورِ الجُهَّالِ العَصا

لا تُجاوِبِ الجاهِلِ بِحَسَبِ غَباوَتِه لِئَلَّا تَكونَ أَنتَ نَظيرَه

جاوِبِ الجاهِلَ بِحَسَبِ غَباوَتِه لِئَلَّا يَكونَ حَكيمًا في عَينَيه

مَن أَرسَلَ كَلامًا على لِسانِ جاهِل فإِنَّما يَقطَعُ الرِّجلَينِ ويَتَجَرَّعُ العُنْف

ساقا الأَعرَجِ واهِيَتان وكَذا المَثَلُ في أَفْواهِ الجُهَّال

مَثَلُ مَن يُكرِمُ الجاهِل كَمَثَلِ مَن يَربِطُ الحَصى بِالمِقْلاع

كَشَوكٍ في يَدِ سَكْران هٰكذا المَثَلُ في فَمِ الجُهَّال

كالنَّابِلِ الَّذي يَجرَحُ كُلَّ إِنْسان هٰكذا مَن يَستَأجِرُ الجاهِلَ والمارَّة

ككَلْبٍ عائِدٍ على قَيئِه هٰكذا الجاهِلُ المُكَرِّرُ غَباوَتَه

أَرَأَيتَ الإِنْسانَ الحَكيمَ في عَينَيه؟ إِنَّ الأَمَلَ في الجاهِلِ أَكثَرُ مِنه

قالَ الكَسْلانُ: «إِنَّ في الطَّريقِ لَيثًا إِنَّ في الشَّوارِعِ أَسَدًا»

البابُ يَدورُ على مَفاصِلِه والكَسْلانُ على فِراشِه

الكَسْلانُ يَغمِسُ يَدَه في الطَّبَق يُتعِبُه إِيصالُها إِلى فَمِه

الكَسْلانُ أَحكَمُ في عَينَيه مِن سَبعَةٍ يُجيبونَ بِسَداد

مَن مَرَّ فتَدَخَّلَ في خُصومَةٍ لا تَعْنيه كَمَنْ يأخُذُ كَلبًا بِأُذُنَيه

كَمَجْنونٍ يَرْمي سِهامَ نارٍ ومَوت

هٰكذا الإِنْسانُ الَّذي يَخدَعُ قَريبَه ثُمَّ يَقول: «أَلَم أَكُنْ مازِحًا؟»

بِٱنقِطاعِ الحَطَبِ تَنطَفِئُ النَّار وبِزَوالِ النَّمَّامِ يَسكُنُ النِّزاع

الفَحْمُ على الجَمْرِ والحَطَبُ عل النَّار هٰكذا صاحِبُ النِّزاعِ لإِضرامِ الخُصومة

كَلِماتُ النَّمَّامِ كَقِطَعِ الحَلْوى فهيَ تَنزِلُ إِلى أَخاديرِ الجَوف

الشِّفاهُ المُتَوَهِّجَةُ والقَلبُ الشِّرِّير فِضَّةٌ ذاتُ خَبَثٍ على خَزَف

بِشَفَتَيهِ يَتَنَكَّرُ المُبغِض وفي باطِنِه يَجعَلُ المَكْر

إِذا لاطَفَكَ بِصَوتِه فلا تُصَدِّقْه فإِنَّ في قَلبِهِ سَبعَ قَبائِح

وإِن أُخفِيَ البُغضُ بِالمُخادَعَة فخُبثُه يُكشَفُ في الجَماعة

مَنْ يَحْفِرُ حُفْرَةً يَسْقُطُ فِيهَا، وَمَنْ يُدَحْرِجُ حَجَرًا يَرْجعُ عَلَيْهِ.

لِسانُ الزُّورِ يُبغِضُ ضَحاياه وفَمُ التَّمَلُّقِ يَجلُبُ السُّقوط

Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.

A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!

Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

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

One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

Like the legs of the lame that hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.

Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.

As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!”

As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.

Like one who grabs a dog’s ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,

is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Am I not joking?”

For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.

The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.

Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.

When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.

His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.