بَعدَafter التَحِيَّةِthe greeting وَالكَرامَةِand the honor كُلِّهاall of it
بَعدَ التَحِيَّةِ وَالكَرامَةِ كُلِّها
أَقضيI offer النَصيحَةَcounsel وَالنَصيحَةُand counsel أَوجَبُmore obligatory
أَقضي النَصيحَةَ وَالنَصيحَةُ أَوجَبُ
After greetings and all due honor,
After greetings and all courtesy
I offer counsel, for counsel is more binding.
I give advice, and advice is most incumbent
العَدلُjustice إِنif طَلَبَseeks المُتَوَّجُthe crowned ruler جُندَهُhis army
العَدلُ إِن طَلَبَ المُتَوَّجُ جُندَهُ
جُندٌan army أَعَزُّmightier وَقُوَّةٌand a force ماnot تُغلَبُis overcome
جُندٌ أَعَزُّ وَقُوَّةٌ ما تُغلَبُ
Justice, if the crowned ruler seeks his army,
Justice, if the enthroned one seeks his troops
Is a mightier army and a force never overcome.
An invincible army of mightiest power
وَالرِفقُand gentleness مِنamong خَيرِthe best الأَزمَّةِreins لِلفَتىfor a young man
وَالرِفقُ مِن خَيرِ الأَزمَّةِ لِلفَتى
فيماin what يَروضُhe tames مِنَof الأُمورِaffairs وَيُركَبُand are ridden
فيما يَروضُ مِنَ الأُمورِ وَيُركَبُ
And gentleness is among the finest reins for a young man
And gentleness, for the gallant youth
In the affairs that he tames and that are ridden.
Is best equipment amidst affairs ridden or driven
فَإِذاso if مَدَدتَyou extend قُواكَyour powers فيthrough أَسبابِهِits means
فَإِذا مَدَدتَ قُواكَ في أَسبابِهِ
جَذَبَit draws الجِبالَthe mountains إِلَيكَto you فيماamong what يَجذُبُit draws
جَذَبَ الجِبالَ إِلَيكَ فيما يَجذُبُ
So if you extend your powers through its means,
So if you extend your strength through its means
It draws mountains to you among the things it draws.
It will attract mountains to you, attracting
وإِذاand if طَلَبتَyou seek رِضىconsent النُفوسِthe souls بِغَيرِهِby something other than it
وإِذا طَلَبتَ رِضى النُفوسِ بِغَيرِهِ
جَمَحَbolts الإِباءُdefiance بِهاwith them وَعَزَّand becomes difficult المَطلَبُthe goal
جَمَحَ الإِباءُ بِها وَعَزَّ المَطلَبُ
And if you seek souls' consent by other means,
And if you seek the souls' approval through other means
Defiance bolts away with them, and the goal proves elusive.
Obstinacy overwhelms them, and the goal is unattainable
احكُمrule بِماby what شَرَعَhas ordained الكِتابُthe Book وَلاand do not تَخَفfear
احكُم بِما شَرَعَ الكِتابُ وَلا تَخَف
خَصماًan adversary يَلومُblames وَلاnor صَديقاًa friend يَعتَبُreproaches
خَصماً يَلومُ وَلا صَديقاً يَعتَبُ
Rule by what the Book has ordained, and do not fear
Judge by what the Book has legislated, and fear not
An adversary who blames you, nor a friend who reproaches you.
An opponent who blames, nor a friend who reproaches
وَأَقِمand establish لَناfor us الحَقَّjustice المُعَطَّلَleft unenforced وَاِستَقِمand stand upright
وَأَقِم لَنا الحَقَّ المُعَطَّلَ وَاِستَقِم
إِنif مالَgoes astray أَزوَرُa crooked man فيin الحُكومَةِgovernance أَنكَبُwayward
إِن مالَ أَزوَرُ في الحُكومَةِ أَنكَبُ
And uphold for us the justice left unenforced, and stand upright,
And establish for us the neglected right, and be steadfast
If a crooked, wayward man in government goes astray.
If the crooked leans in governance and stumbles
الحَقُّtruth حِصنٌa fortress يَتَّقيهِfears it وَيَحتَميand seeks refuge
الحَقُّ حِصنٌ يَتَّقيهِ وَيَحتَمي
فيهِin it الأَشَمُّthe loftiest مِنَof الحُصونِthe fortresses الأَهيَبُthe most awe-inspiring
فيهِ الأَشَمُّ مِنَ الحُصونِ الأَهيَبُ
Truth is a fortress, feared and sought as a refuge
Truth is a fortress, those with intuition seek it out and take refuge
By the loftiest, most awe-inspiring of fortresses.
In it, the noblest of fortresses, the most awe-inspiring
إِنَّindeed البِلادَthe country لَهاit has حُقوقٌrights جَمَّةٌabundant
إِنَّ البِلادَ لَها حُقوقٌ جَمَّةٌ
ماnot لِاِمرِئٍfor any person مِنهاfrom them وَلاnor لَكَfor you مَهرَبُan escape
ما لِاِمرِئٍ مِنها وَلا لَكَ مَهرَبُ
Indeed, the country has rights in abundance,
The country surely has total rights
From which no person has any escape, nor do you.
That no person owns, for you there is no escape
الحُكمُrule أَيّامٌdays تَمُرُّpass حَثيثَةًswiftly
الحُكمُ أَيّامٌ تَمُرُّ حَثيثَةً
وَالذِكرُand remembrance يُنشَرُis spread وَالمُؤَرِّخُand the historian يَكتُبُwrites
وَالذِكرُ يُنشَرُ وَالمُؤَرِّخُ يَكتُبُ
Rule is but days that pass swiftly,
Rule is days passing swiftly
And remembrance is passed on, and the historian writes.
And history spreads and the chronicler writes
فَاِذكُرso remember سَبيلَكَyour path إِنif تَصَرَّمَexpires عَهدُهُits term
فَاِذكُر سَبيلَكَ إِن تَصَرَّمَ عَهدُهُ
وَجَرىand runs لِغايَتِهِto its end الزَمانُtime القُلَّبُever-changing
وَجَرى لِغايَتِهِ الزَمانُ القُلَّبُ
So remember your path, should its term expire,
So remember your path if its era expires
And ever-changing time run to its end.
And time, ever-changing, runs its course
وَأَرىand I see مَوازينَscales الرِجالِmen كَثيرَةًmany
وَأَرى مَوازينَ الرِجالِ كَثيرَةً
وَأَجَلُّand the greatest ماthat which وَزنَhas weighed الرِجالَmen المَنصِبُoffice
وَأَجَلُّ ما وَزنَ الرِجالَ المَنصِبُ
And I see many scales for weighing men,
And I see the scales of men are numerous
And the greatest scale that weighs men is office.
And the most exalted scale by which to weigh men is rank
فَاِختَرso choose لِنَفسِكَfor yourself أَيَّwhich صَوبٍdirection تَنتحيyou head toward
فَاِختَر لِنَفسِكَ أَيَّ صَوبٍ تَنتحي
وَبِأَيِّand in which مُضطَرَبٍarena تَسيرُyou travel وَتَذهَبُand you go
وَبِأَيِّ مُضطَرَبٍ تَسيرُ وَتَذهَبُ
So choose for yourself which direction you will take,
So choose for yourself which direction you will incline
And in which arena you will travel and go.
And with which confusion will you walk and wander
ماnot الحُكمُrule يَرفَعُraises لِلبِلادِfor the country بِناءَهاits edifice
ما الحُكمُ يَرفَعُ لِلبِلادِ بِناءَها
كَالحُكمُlike rule يَهدِمُdemolishes رُكنَهاits pillar وَيُخَرِّبُand lays waste
كَالحُكمُ يَهدِمُ رُكنَها وَيُخَرِّبُ
Rule that raises the country's edifice is not
No rule elevates the land by its foundation
Like rule that demolishes its pillar and lays it waste.
Like rule that destroys its pillar and ruins it
اللَهُGod يَنظُرُlooks مِنfrom جَوانِبِthe sides عَرشِهِHis throne
اللَهُ يَنظُرُ مِن جَوانِبِ عَرشِهِ
ماwhat أَنتَyou فاعِلُهُdoing it وَطَهَand Taha يَرقُبُkeeps watch
ما أَنتَ فاعِلُهُ وَطَهَ يَرقُبُ
God looks from the sides of His throne
God looks from all sides of His Throne
At what you do, and Taha keeps watch.
At what you will do while He closely watches
تِلكَthat النَصيحَةُcounsel صاغَهاfashioned it لَكَfor you شاعِرٌa poet
تِلكَ النَصيحَةُ صاغَها لَكَ شاعِرٌ
حُرُّfree المَقالَةِspeech صادِقٌtruthful لاnot يَكذِبُhe lies
حُرُّ المَقالَةِ صادِقٌ لا يَكذِبُ
That is the counsel a poet fashioned for you,
That advice a poet has crafted for you
Free in speech, truthful, never lying.
Free in utterance, honest, no liar
الحَقُّtruth مَذهَبُهُhis creed وَمَطلَبُand the desire نَفسِهِhis soul
الحَقُّ مَذهَبُهُ وَمَطلَبُ نَفسِهِ
يَرضىhe is pleased لَهُfor its sake فيamong الكاتِبينَthe writers وَيَغضَبُand grows angry
يَرضى لَهُ في الكاتِبينَ وَيَغضَبُ
Truth is his creed and his soul's desire;
Truth his creed and pursuit of his soul
For its sake, among writers, he is pleased and grows angry.
He accepts for it among writers and is angered
لاnot يَتَّقيfears بَطشَthe violence الظَلومِof the tyrant إِذاwhen اِنتَحىattacks
لا يَتَّقي بَطشَ الظَلومِ إِذا اِنتَحى
وَأَشاحَand rushes فيamid هَبَواتِهِhis dust-clouds يَتَوَثَّبُsprings to attack
وَأَشاحَ في هَبَواتِهِ يَتَوَثَّبُ
He does not fear the tyrant's violence when the tyrant attacks,
He does not fear the tyrants' oppression, inclining to it
And rushes amid his dust-clouds, springing to strike.
Tossing about in their wanderings, leaping
ماnot المَرءُa person يُرزَأُis afflicted فيin الحَياةِlife وَيُبتَلىand is tried
ما المَرءُ يُرزَأُ في الحَياةِ وَيُبتَلى
كَالشَعبِlike the people يُرزَأُare afflicted بِالوُلاةِby the rulers وَيُنكَبُand are struck by calamity
كَالشَعبِ يُرزَأُ بِالوُلاةِ وَيُنكَبُ
No man is afflicted and tried in life
A man is not scorned in life and tested
Like the people afflicted by rulers and struck by calamity.
Like a people scorned by governors and abused
Sol 6.1