کر د ګلو کړه چې سیمه دې ګلزار شي
اغزي مه کره په پښو کې به دې خار شي
Sow a crop of flowers, so the land around you becomes a garden.
Do not sow thorns: they will pierce your own feet.
ته چې بل په غشيو ولې هسې پوه شه
چې هم دا غشي به ستا په لور ګذار شي
You who shoot arrows at others, understand this:
the same arrows will be loosed back towards you.
کوهي مه کنه د بل سړي په لار کې
چرې ستا به د کوهي په غاړه لار شي
Do not dig a well in another man's path;
one day your own path may run along that well's edge.
ته چې هر چا ته په خوارو سترګو ګورې
لا وړومبی به ستا صورت تر خاورو خوار شي
You who look on everyone with contempt,
your own face will be the first brought low in the dust.
ادم زاد په معنا واړه يو صورت دی
هر چې بل ازاروي هغه ازار شي
In essence, all humanity is one body.
Whoever hurts another will himself be hurt.
که ته نه کوې نظر د چا و عيب ته
هر سړی به ستا د عيبو پرده دار شي
If you do not look into other people's faults,
everyone will draw a veil over yours.
دهقان کر په لوړه زمکه باندې نه کا
سرکوزي کوه چې بڼ دې مرغزار شي
The farmer does not sow on high ground.
Keep your head low, so your garden becomes a meadow.
د مات لوښي اواز کله ثابت خېژي
د هر چا عمل څرګند په خپل ګفتار شي
When does a broken pot ring true?
Each person's deeds are shown in their own words.
نن چې صبح ده روښانه لار صحيح کړه
ناګهانه به دا صبحه شب تار شي
Today, while the morning is bright, set your path right;
without warning this morning will turn to dark night.
لږ يې مه ګڼه که هر څو ګناه لږ وي
چې لږ لږ وبله جمع کړې بسيار شي
Do not count a sin as small, however small it is:
little by little, gathered together, it becomes a great deal.
که بل بد کاندي ته ښه ور سره وکړه
هر يو نخل چې ميوه لري سنګسار شي
If another does you wrong, do good to him in return:
every tree that bears fruit is pelted with stones.
تل و ښو و ته ازار د بدو ورسي
هر چنجی و نرم چوب ته ور دوڅار شي
Harm from the wicked always reaches the good:
every worm makes its way to the soft wood.
هغه زړه به له طوفانه په امان وي
چې کشتۍ غوندې د خلقو بار بردار شي
That heart will be safe from the storm
which, like a ship, carries the burden of others.
خدای دې بد له لاسه نه کا او که وي هم
د رحمان دې له کل بدو استغفار شي
May God keep evil from his hands, and if there is any,
may all of Rahman's wrongs be forgiven.
About this poem
The printed Diwan begins «کر د ګلو کړه», not «ګلونه کره» as the line is often quoted, and has «اغزي» for thorns. Couplets 11 to 13 follow the printed Diwan where pushto.net differs («سنګسار», «د بدو», «ور دوڅار», «بار بردار»). Couplet 5, "all humanity is one body", is often quoted on its own.
Translation: Pashtunxwa
Source: pushto.net, checked against the Diwan of Rahman Baba (Pashto Academy scan, pp. 303–304)