Don’t boast before you gain knowledge.
Don’t settle down before you find your place.
Don’t lose yourself in excitement,
or waste your time playing and laughing.

If you want to become a better human being,
stay away from five things
and strive for five others.

Gossip, lies, arrogance,
laziness, and wasting your wealth—
these are your five enemies.
Keep them far from you.

Ambition, hard work, deep thought,
contentment, and compassion—
these are the five noble qualities.
Keep them close to your heart.

When you see something evil,
reject it and turn your heart away.
When you see something good,
learn from it and keep it in your mind.

How can you become a learned person
if you give up your youth?
Even if you cannot become a great scholar,
try to follow the example
of someone who has.

Do not say, “How could I ever become like that?”
If you truly love knowledge,
who will give it to you
if you let your inner fire die
before it has even begun to burn?

Knowledge is the world,
and wealth is the world as well,
if you devote your heart to learning
and follow with respect
the words of those who know.

Do not believe something simply because
an elder has said it,
or because a wealthy man has said it,
or because everyone repeats it.
When you encounter something,
test it with reason.

Do not surrender yourself to ignorance.
Even if the truth goes against you,
hold on to it.

These words are not a verse from the Qur'an
or a hadith,
so no one will call you an unbeliever
simply because you question them.

Do not accept an idea merely because
it is widely repeated.
If you follow my words,
do not simply take my word for it.

Do not remember the name
of the person who wrote these words.
Remember the meaning.

Many eloquent speakers have passed
through this false and temporary world,
and many great leaders have come and gone.

Learn to understand the meaning of words.
Use reason as your measure.
If something seems crooked,
leave it aside, or laugh at it if you wish.

But if it seems straight and true,
think about it carefully
and take it to heart.

There are many fools
and few truly wise people.
Do not assume that something is valuable
just because many people believe it.

And do not believe someone's words
simply because they are close to you.
Do not follow empty words
just because a friend or relative said them.

I say this because I fear for you.

Learn for your own sake.
Reject what is harmful.
Then, year by year,
your mind will open.

But if you learn only for someone else,
what good is your knowledge?
If you know something
only because others do not,
then all that knowledge is worthless.

Judge a person by their words,
not words by the person who speaks them.
Do not reject the truth
simply because you do not know where it came from.

The one who wrote these words
was a learned man,
and he spoke with wisdom.

Read his words.
Think about them.
Learn quickly while you are young,
because youth is like a flower:
beautiful, but it does not last forever.