كَذَبَlied المُلوكُthe kings وَمَنand whoever يُحاوِلُseeks عِندَهُمamong them
كَذَبَ المُلوكُ وَمَن يُحاوِلُ عِندَهُم
شَرَفاًhonor وَيَزعُمُand claims أَنَّهُمthat they شُرَفاءُhonorable
شَرَفاً وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُم شُرَفاءُ
The kings lie, as does whoever seeks among them
The kings have lied, and those who seek
Honor, and claims that they are honorable.
Honor from them, claiming they are noble.
رُتبٌranks وَأَلقابٌand titles تَغُرُّbeguile وَماand no بِهاin them
رُتبٌ وَأَلقابٌ تَغُرُّ وَما بِها
فَخرٌglory لِحامِلِهاfor their bearer وَلاnor اِستِعلاءُexaltation
فَخرٌ لِحامِلِها وَلا اِستِعلاءُ
Ranks and titles beguile, yet in them there is
Ranks and titles that delude, holding
No glory for their bearer, nor exaltation.
No pride for their bearer, no ascendance.
آناًat times تُباعُare sold وَتَارَةًand at other times هِيَthey خِدعَةًa ruse
آناً تُباعُ وَتَارَةً هِيَ خِدعَةً
تَمْنَىare afflicted بِشَرِّby the evil of سُعاتِهاtheir seekers الأُمَراءُthe princes
تَمْنَى بِشَرِّ سُعاتِها الأُمَراءُ
Sometimes they are sold; sometimes they are a ruse;
Now sold, now mere trickery,
Princes are afflicted by the wickedness of those seeking them.
Craved at the worst of times by princes.
كَمhow many a رُتبَةٍrank نَعِمَdelighted الغَبِيُّthe fool بِنَيلِهاin attaining it
كَم رُتبَةٍ نَعِمَ الغَبِيُّ بِنَيلِها
مِنfrom حَيثُwhere جَلَّلَهاshrouded it أَسىًsorrow وَشَقاءُand misery
مِن حَيثُ جَلَّلَها أَسىً وَشَقاءُ
How many a rank the fool has delighted in attaining,
How many a rank, how the fool rejoices
Though sorrow and misery have shrouded it.
At attaining, though it brings but pain and woe.
لَوif كانَhe were يَعلَمُto know ذُلَّهاits humiliation وَهَوانَهاand its disgrace
لَو كانَ يَعلَمُ ذُلَّها وَهَوانَها
ماnot طالَlasted مِنهُfrom him الزَهوُpride وَالخُيَلاءُand conceit
ما طالَ مِنهُ الزَهوُ وَالخُيَلاءُ
Had he known its humiliation and disgrace,
If he but knew its baseness and disgrace,
His pride and conceit would not have lasted.
Vanity and arrogance would quickly flee.
يَلقىreceives الكَرامَةَhonor حَيثُwherever كانَhe is وَفِعلُهُand his conduct
يَلقى الكَرامَةَ حَيثُ كانَ وَفِعلُهُ
جَمُّfull of المَساوِئِfaults وَالمَقالُand speech هُراءُnonsense
جَمُّ المَساوِئِ وَالمَقالُ هُراءُ
He receives honor wherever he is, though his conduct
Honor is found where deeds are good,
Is full of faults, and his speech is nonsense.
Though mouths speak only evil and lies.
تِلكَthat الجَهالَةُignorance وَالغُرورُand delusion وَباطِلٌand futile
تِلكَ الجَهالَةُ وَالغُرورُ وَباطِلٌ
ماwhat يَصنَعُdo الأَغرارُthe gullible وَالجَهلاءُand the ignorant
ما يَصنَعُ الأَغرارُ وَالجَهلاءُ
That is ignorance and delusion, and futile is
Ignorance it is, and vain conceit; such
What the gullible and the ignorant do.
Are the acts of the ignorant and foolish.
ذَنبُthe sin of المُلوكِthe kings رَمىstruck الشُعوبَthe peoples بِنَكبَةٍwith a calamity
ذَنبُ المُلوكِ رَمى الشُعوبَ بِنَكبَةٍ
جُلّىmighty تَنوءُstaggers بِحَملِهاunder its burden الغَبراءُthe earth
جُلّى تَنوءُ بِحَملِها الغَبراءُ
The kings' sin has struck the peoples with a calamity
The sin of kings has cast nations into calamity,
So mighty that the earth staggers beneath its burden.
Bowed down by a burden the humble endure.
لاnot المَجدُglory مَجدٌglory بَعدَماafter عَبَثَتtoyed بِهِwith it
لا المَجدُ مَجدٌ بَعدَما عَبَثَت بِهِ
أَيديthe hands of المُلوكِthe kings وَلاnor السَناءُsplendor سَناءُsplendor
أَيدي المُلوكِ وَلا السَناءُ سَناءُ
Glory is not glory after it has been toyed with
Glory is no glory when kings have toyed with it.
By the hands of kings; nor is splendor splendor.
Praise is no praise after what they have done.
مالواthey turned away عَنِfrom الشَرَفِhonor الصَميمِgenuine وَأَحدَثواand they brought about
مالوا عَنِ الشَرَفِ الصَميمِ وَأَحدَثوا
ماwhat شاءَتِwilled الأَوهامُdelusions وَالأَهواءُand whims
ما شاءَتِ الأَوهامُ وَالأَهواءُ
They turned away from genuine honor and brought about
They turned from true honor and brought about
Whatever delusions and whims willed.
Whatever wild fancies and whims dictated.
رَفَعواthey raised الطَغامَthe rabble عَلىabove الكِرامِthe noble فَأَشكَلَتand so became unclear
رَفَعوا الطَغامَ عَلى الكِرامِ فَأَشكَلَت
قِيَمُthe worth of الرِجالِmen وَرابَتِand grew suspect الأَشياءُthings
قِيَمُ الرِجالِ وَرابَتِ الأَشياءُ
They raised the rabble above the noble, and so
They raised the rabble above the noble, till
Men's worth became unclear, and things grew suspect.
Values became confused and matters muddled.
زَعَمواthey claimed الثَراءَwealth فَضيلَةًa virtue فَقَضواso they ruled لَهُin its favor
زَعَموا الثَراءَ فَضيلَةً فَقَضوا لَهُ
ساءَwas vile الَّذيwhat زَعَمَclaimed المُلوكُthe kings وَساءواand they were vile
ساءَ الَّذي زَعَمَ المُلوكُ وَساءوا
They claimed wealth was a virtue and ruled in its favor;
They claimed wealth a virtue, and so ensured
Vile was what the kings claimed, and vile were they.
The ruin that the kings claimed was advancement.
ياO رُبَّmany a مُثرٍwealthy man لَوif أَطاعَobeyed إِلَهَهُhis God
يا رُبَّ مُثرٍ لَو أَطاعَ إِلَهَهُ
وَأَبىand rejected الدَناياbase deeds فاتَهُeluded him الإِثراءُbecoming wealthy
وَأَبى الدَنايا فاتَهُ الإِثراءُ
Ah, many a wealthy man—had he obeyed his God
Woe to them that ignored their God
And rejected base deeds—would have failed to grow rich.
And craved only worldly increase.
بَزَّdespoiled الضَعيفَthe weak man فَمِنso from نَسائِلِthe loose threads of طِمرِهِhis ragged garment
بَزَّ الضَعيفَ فَمِن نَسائِلِ طِمرِهِ
حُيكتwas woven عَلَيهِfor him البِزَّةُthe attire الحَسناءُsplendid
حُيكت عَلَيهِ البِزَّةُ الحَسناءُ
He despoiled the weak man; from the loose threads of his ragged garment
They clothed the weak in finery, and from his refuse
Splendid attire was woven for the rich man.
Were spun silken robes of brilliant hue.
وَعَلىand upon بَقاياthe remains of دورِهِhis homes وَطُلولِهِand his ruins
وَعَلى بَقايا دورِهِ وَطُلولِهِ
أَمسَتcame to be تُقامُbuilt قُصورُهُhis palaces الشَمّاءُlofty
أَمسَت تُقامُ قُصورُهُ الشَمّاءُ
And on the remains of the weak man's homes and ruins
On the ruins of his walls and towers
The rich man's lofty palaces came to be built.
Palaces are raised, lofty and proud.
وَإِذاand when الرُعاةُthe shepherds تَنَكَّبَتstrayed from سُبُلَthe paths of الهُدىguidance
وَإِذا الرُعاةُ تَنَكَّبَت سُبُلَ الهُدى
غَوَتِwent astray الهُداةُthe guides وَطاشَتِand lost their judgment الحُكَماءُthe wise
غَوَتِ الهُداةُ وَطاشَتِ الحُكَماءُ
And when the shepherds stray from the paths of guidance,
When shepherds have lost the ways of guidance,
The guides go astray, and the wise lose their judgment.
The rightly guided go astray and the wise run mad.
وَإِذاand when الطبيبُthe physician رَمىafflicted العَليلَthe patient بِدائِهِwith his disease
وَإِذا الطبيبُ رَمى العَليلَ بِدائِهِ
فَبِمَنthen through whom يُؤمَّلُis it hoped أنthat يَزولَwill vanish الداءُthe disease
فَبِمَن يُؤمَّلُ أن يَزولَ الداءُ
And when the physician afflicts the patient with his own disease,
When the physician casts his patient’s illness upon him,
Through whom can one hope the disease will vanish?
Who then can hope for the sickness to pass?
لَوif جاوَرَdwelt beside الشَرَفُhonor المُلوكَthe kings لَأَورَقَتwould have sprouted leaves
لَو جاوَرَ الشَرَفُ المُلوكَ لَأَورَقَت
صُمُّsolid الصُخورِrocks وَضاءَتِand would have shone الظلماءُdarkness
صُمُّ الصُخورِ وَضاءَتِ الظلماءُ
Had honor dwelt beside the kings, leaves would have sprouted
If honor dwelt amongst kings, rocks would bloom
From solid rocks, and darkness would have shone.
And the darkness glow with light.
ظُلمٌinjustice يُبَرِّحُinflicts torment بِالبَريءٍon the innocent وَغِلظَةٌand harshness
ظُلمٌ يُبَرِّحُ بِالبَريءٍ وَغِلظَةٌ
يَشقىsuffer بِهاfrom it الضُعَفاءُthe weak وَالفُقَراءُand the poor
يَشقى بِها الضُعَفاءُ وَالفُقَراءُ
Injustice that torments the innocent, and harshness
Oppression runs rife, the innocent scourged,
From which the weak and the poor suffer.
And the poor and weak made to suffer.
الحَقُّright مُنتَهَكُviolated المَحارِمِsanctities بَينَهُمamong them
الحَقُّ مُنتَهَكُ المَحارِمِ بَينَهُم
وَالعَدلُand justice وَهمٌan illusion وَالوَفاءُand faithfulness هَباءُdust
وَالعَدلُ وَهمٌ وَالوَفاءُ هَباءُ
The sanctities of right are violated among them;
Truth and justice are neglected; good faith
And justice is an illusion, and faithfulness is dust.
Amongst them is but phantasm and mirage.
رَفَعواthey raised العُروشَthe thrones عَلىupon الدِماءِblood وَإِنَّماand only
رَفَعوا العُروشَ عَلى الدِماءِ وَإِنَّما
تَبقىstays afloat السَفينَةُthe ship ماas long as أَقامَremains الماءُthe water
تَبقى السَفينَةُ ما أَقامَ الماءُ
They raised thrones upon blood, yet
They built their thrones upon bloodshed, yet
A ship stays afloat only as long as the water remains.
Ships endure only so long as they displace water.
Sol 6.1