يريدُ سياسةً من لا يُسَمَّى

يريدُ سياسةً من لا يُسَمَّى

وطبعٌ فيهِ يأبَى أن يَسُوسا

وطبعٌ فيهِ يأبَى أن يَسُوسا

One who shall go unnamed aspires to rule,

He who goes unnamed seeks to govern.

He who is not named desires to govern,

yet his very nature refuses to govern.

Yet his nature balks at governing.

While his very nature refuses to lead.

سألتُ كُسىً فمنَّانِي بقَمْح

سألتُ كُسىً فمنَّانِي بقَمْح

وأعطانِي مكانَ القمح سُوسا

وأعطانِي مكانَ القمح سُوسا

I asked for clothes; he promised me wheat,

I asked for clothes, so he promised me wheat.

I asked for raiment, and he promised me wheat,

then gave me weevils in place of the wheat.

And instead of wheat, he gave me weevils.

Then gave me, instead of the wheat, weevils.