araada ṭaalibun an yataʿallama al-ʿarabiyyata fadhahaba ilaa ḥakiiminA student wanted to learn Arabic, so he went to a sage.
qaala kam mina al-waqti aḥtaaju li’utqinahaaHe said, "How much time do I need to master it?"
qaala al-ḥakiimu thalaathu sanawaatin in taʿallamta kulla yawmin qaliilanThe sage said, "Three years, if you learn a little every day."
qaala aṭ-ṭaalibu wa’in taʿallamtu bisurʿatin wadarastu saaʿaatin ṭawiilatanThe student said, "And if I learn fast and study for long hours?"
qaala al-ḥakiimu ʿinda’idhin sataḥtaaju ilaa khamsi sanawaatinThe sage said, "Then you will need five years."
taʿajjaba aṭ-ṭaalibu wakayfa haadhaaThe student was surprised: "How can that be?"
qaala al-ḥakiimu man yastaʿjilu yansaa waman yansaa yuʿiidu mina al-bidaayatiThe sage said, "Whoever rushes forgets, and whoever forgets starts again from the beginning."
bada’a aṭ-ṭaalibu yataʿallamu kulla yawmin thalaathata ḥuruufin wakalimaatin qaliilatanThe student began to learn three letters and a few words every day.
wabaʿda sanawaatin ṣaara yaqra’u al-kutuba al-ʿarabiyyata al-kabiirataYears later he was reading big Arabic books.
al-qaliilu ad-daa’imu khayrun mina al-kathiiri al-munqaṭiʿiA little done constantly is better than a lot done in fits and starts.