How many a word has taken away a blessing.
كَمْ مِنْ كَلِمَة سَلَبَتْ نِعْمَةً۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Too much talking makes the ear weary.
كَثْرَةُ الكَلامِ تُمِلُّ السَّمْعَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Excessive talking makes one’s brothers fed up.
كَثْرَةُ الكَلامِ تُمِلُّ الإخْوانَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Excessive speech is such that its marginal issues are expanded and its meanings are reduced, so no...
كَثْرَةُ الكَلامِ يَبْسُطُ حَواشِيَهُ، وتَنْقُصُ مَعانِيَهُ، فَلا يُرى لَهُ أمَدٌ، ولا يَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ أحَدٌ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
For every statement there is a reply.
لِكُلِّ قَوْل جَوابٌ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who speaks less, his sins are less.
مَنْ قَلَّ كَلامُهُ قَلَّتْ آثامُهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One whose speech is less, his fault is nullified.
مَنْ قَلَّ كَلامُهُ بَطَلَ عَيْبُهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who speaks that which he ought not to, hears that which he does not like.
مَنْ قَالَ ما لايَنْبَغي سَمِعَ ما لايَشْتَهي۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who makes his speech prudent proves the abundance of his merit.
مَنْ سَدَّدَ مَقالَهُ بَرْهَنَ عَنْ غَزارَةِ فَضْلِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One whose speech is good, success is in front of him.
مَنْ حَسُنَ كَلامُهُ كانَ النُّجْحُ أمامَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One whose speech is bad, his censure increases.
مَنْ ساءَ كَلامُهُ كَثُرَ مَلامُهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One whose speech is accompanied by modesty, corruption [and destruction] is removed from his action.
مَنْ صَحِبَهُ الحَياءُ في قَوْلِهِ، زايَلَهُ الخَناءُ في فِعْلِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who talks a lot increases his babble and one who jokes a lot increases his silliness.
مَنْ كَثُرَ كَلامُهُ كَثُرَ لَغَطُهُ، ومَنْ كَثُرَ هَزْلُهُ كَثُرَ سُخْفُهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who does not make his speech appropriate (or is not able to bear [others’] speech) does not...
مَنْ لَمْ يَجْمِلْ (لَمْ يَحْمِلْ)قيلاً لَمْ يَسْمَعْ جَميلاً۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One whose words are evil, his lot will be evil.
مَنْ ساءَ لَفْظُهُ ساءَ حَظُّهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The place where speech is infixed is the heart, its repository is the mind, its strengthener is the...
مَغْرَسُ الكَلامِ القَلْبُ، ومَسْتَوْدَعُهُ الْفِكْرُ ومُقَوِّيهِ العَقْلُ، ومُبْديهِ اللِّسانُ، وجِسْمُهُ الحُرُوفُ، ورُوحُهُ...
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Never say anything the reply for which will hurt you.
لاتَقُولَنَّ ما يَسُوءُكَ جَوابُهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Do not speak that which you fear others will consider a lie.
لاتُحَدِّثْ بِما تَخافُ تَكْذيبَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Do not speak of everything you know, for that is [itself] a sufficient ignorance.
لاتَتَكَلَّمْ بِكُلِّ ما تَعْلَمُ، فَكَفى بِذلِكَ جَهْلاً۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Do not look at who has spoken, look at what he has said.
لاتَنْظُرْ إلى مَنْ قالَ، وانْظُرْ إلى ماقالَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Do not say that which will make your burden [of sin] heavy.
لاتَقُلْ ما يُثْقِلُ وِزْرَكَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Do not speak of that which you do not know, for indeed most of the truth lies in that which you do...
لاتَقُولُوا فيما لاتَعْرِفُونَ، فَإنَّ أكْثَرَ الحَقِّ فيما تُنْكِرُونَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Do not relate to the people all that you hear, for this suffices as silliness (or foolishness).
لاتُحَدِّثِ النّاسَ بِكُلِّ ما تَسْمَعُ فَكَفى بِذلِكَ خُرْقاً (حُمْقاً)۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Do not contest all that the people relate to you, for this suffices as foolishness.
لاتَرُدَّ عَلَى النّاسِ كُلَّما حَدَّثُوكَ، فَكَفى بِذلِكَ حُمْقاً۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
