The piercing of the tongue is more injurious than the piercing of the spear.
طَعْنُ اللِّسانِ أمَضُّ مِنْ طَعْنِ السِّنانِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Accustom your tongue to polite speech and you will remain safe from reproach.
عَوِّدْ لِسانَكَ حُسْنَ الكَلامِ تَأْمَنِ المَلامَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
It is very rare for the tongue to remain fair in spreading [news about] the ugly and the good acts...
قَلَّما يُنْصِفُ اللِّسانُ في نَشْرِ قَبيح أوْ إحْسان۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Set your tongue aright and you will be secure.
قَوِّمْ لِسانَكَ تَسْلَمْ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Every person is held accountable for the offence committed by his tongue and his hand.
كُلُّ إنْسان مُؤاخَذٌ بِجِنايَةِ لِسانِهِ ويَدِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
How much blood has been spilt by the mouth!
كَمْ مِنْ دَم سَفَكَهُ فَمٌ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
How many a person has been destroyed by the tongue!
كَمْ مِنْ إنْسان أهْلَكَهُ لِسانٌ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The tongue of the intelligent person is behind his heart.
لِسانُ العاقِلِ وَراءَ قَلْبِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The tongue of the ignorant person is the key to his destruction.
لِسانُ الجاهِلِ مِفْتاحُ حَتْفِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Your tongue demands from you that which you have made it accustomed to.
لِسانُكَ يَقْتَضيكَ ما عَوَّدْتَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
He (‘a) said about the one whom he reproached: His tongue is like honey but his heart is a prison...
وقالَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ في حَقِّ مَنْ ذَمَّهُ: لِسانُهُ كَالشَّهْدِ ولكِنْ قَلْبُهُ سِجْنٌ لِلْحِقْدِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The tongue of a virtuous person is enthralled by the continued remembrance of Allah.
لِسانُ البَرِّ مُسْتَهْتَرٌ بِدَوامِ الذِّكْرِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
If you restrain your tongue, it will save you and if you set it free, it will ruin you.
لِسانُكَ إنْ أمْسَكْتَهُ أنْجاكَ، وإنْ أطْلَقْتَهُ أرْداكَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Your tongue demands from you that which you have accustomed it to and your soul requires from you...
لِسانُكَ يَسْتَدْعيكَ ما عَوَّدْتَهُ، ونَفْسُكَ تَقْتَضيكَ ما ألِفْتَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One whose tongue is sweet [and polite], his friends increase.
مَنْ عَذُبَ لِسانُهُ كَثُرَ إخْوانُهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who protects his tongue honours himself.
مَنْ حَفِظَ لِسانَهُ أكْرَمَ نَفْسَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who does not control his tongue regrets.
مَنْ لَمْ يَمْلِكْ لِسانَهُ يَنْدَمْ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who imprisons his tongue remains safe from regret.
مَنْ سَجَنَ لِسانَهُ أمِنَ مِنْ نَدَمِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who sets his tongue aright adorns his intellect.
مَنْ قَوَّمَ لِسانَهُ زانَ عَقْلَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who makes his tongue his master has decreed his own death.
مَنْ أمَّرَ عَلَيْهِ لِسانَهُ قَضا بِحَتْفِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who restrains his tongue is safe from regret.
مَنْ أمْسَكَ لِسانَهُ أمِنَ نَدَمَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who sets his tongue free demonstrates his own foolishness.
مَنْ أطْلَقَ لِسانَهُ أبانَ عَنْ سُخْفِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Guarding the tongue is part of faith.
مِنَ الإيمانِ حِفْظُ اللِّسانِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who does not guard his tongue has not completed his faith.
ما عَقَدَ إيمانَهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَحْفَظْ لِسانَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
