دنيا علا شأن الوضيع بها

دنيا علا شأن الوضيع بها

وهوى الشريف يحطه شرفُهْ

وهوى الشريف يحطه شرفُهْ

A world in which the lowly man's standing has risen,

The lowly find honor in this world

And the noble has fallen, brought low by his nobility.

While nobility's glory brings it down

كالبحر يرسب فيه لؤلؤه

كالبحر يرسب فيه لؤلؤه

سفلاً وتطفو فوقه جيفُهْ

سفلاً وتطفو فوقه جيفُهْ

Like the sea, in which its pearls sink

Like pearls that sink to the sea's floor

To the depths, while its carrion floats above it.

While corpses float upon its crown

فاصبر على هول الخطوب لها

فاصبر على هول الخطوب لها

قلبٌ نماه إلى العلا سلَفُهْ

قلبٌ نماه إلى العلا سلَفُهْ

So endure the terror of calamities; to face them there is

So bear with fate's awful strokes herein

A resourceful man whose forebears raised him to eminence,

With a heart raised by ancestors' renown

لا مظهراً في عقب نائبة

لا مظهراً في عقب نائبة

أسفاً وليس يقوده شغفه

أسفاً وليس يقوده شغفه

Not displaying, in the wake of a calamity,

No refuge's found after misfortune

Sorrow; nor is he led by his passion.

With grief, not urged by passion's heat

طوع الصديق يقود ربقته

طوع الصديق يقود ربقته

لا بطؤه يُخشى ولا عنفه

لا بطؤه يُخشى ولا عنفه

Obedient to a friend who leads him by his halter,

A friend's will guides his steed aright

Neither his slowness nor his harshness is feared.

No slowness feared, no haste unmeet

نكل العدو يرى به أسفاً

نكل العدو يرى به أسفاً

جهماً عبوساً موحشاً كنفه

جهماً عبوساً موحشاً كنفه

A scourge to the enemy, who sees wrath in him,

A foe turns away with pitying look

Grim and scowling, his presence forbidding.

Gloomy and sullen his retreat

فلقل ما أنحت على أحد

فلقل ما أنحت على أحد

بالجور إلا سوف تنتصفه

بالجور إلا سوف تنتصفه

For seldom does the world assail anyone

So seldom carve injustice on anyone

Unjustly without later granting him redress.

Lest vengeance come your wrongs to meet