خَيرٌbetter مِنَthan الظُلمِoppression لِلوالينَfor governors لَوif عَقَلواthey had sense
خَيرٌ مِنَ الظُلمِ لِلوالينَ لَو عَقَلوا
عَزلٌdismissal بِعُنفٍby force وَغَزلٌand spinning بِالصَنانيرِwith spindle-hooks
عَزلٌ بِعُنفٍ وَغَزلٌ بِالصَنانيرِ
Better than oppression for governors, if they had sense,
Better than oppression for rulers, if they were wise,
Would be forcible dismissal and spinning with spindle-hooks.
Is removal with violence, and spinning with chains,
ذَلِلتُI grew submissive حَتّىuntil دَنانيرٌa yoke drew near (wordplay on dinars) إِلىtoward كَتَدٍwithers
ذَلِلتُ حَتّى دَنانيرٌ إِلى كَتَدٍ
وَإِنَّماand only ذاكَthat مِنfrom حُبِّlove of الدَنانيرِdinars
وَإِنَّما ذاكَ مِن حُبِّ الدَنانيرِ
I grew so submissive that a yoke drew near my withers,
I was humbled until pieces of gold came to a mat,
And that was solely out of love for dinars.
And that is only from love of pieces of gold,
فَلاso do not يَغُرَّنكَbeguile you المَنسوجُwoven fabric مِنof ذَهَبٍgold
فَلا يَغُرَّنكَ المَنسوجُ مِن ذَهَبٍ
فَقَدfor indeed تُواريكَcover you أَطمارٌrags بِلاwithout نيرِan ornamental stripe
فَقَد تُواريكَ أَطمارٌ بِلا نيرِ
So let not what is woven of gold beguile you;
So let not the gold-woven garment deceive you,
For rags without an ornamental stripe can cover you.
For rags without a string may cover you,
شُدَّتwere fastened مَناطِقُbelts نَضرٍgold فيin هَوىthe desire of نَفَرٍa few people
شُدَّت مَناطِقُ نَضرٍ في هَوى نَفَرٍ
مِنَof المُلوكِkings ثَوَواlay تَحتَbeneath الزَنانيرِgirdles
مِنَ المُلوكِ ثَوَوا تَحتَ الزَنانيرِ
Gold belts were fastened at the whim of a handful
The belts of Nadhr were tightened in love of a group,
Of kings who lay beneath girdles.
Of kings who took shelter under armor,
أَلهىdistracted البَريَّةَall creatures إِلقاءٌcasting إِلىinto هُضُمٍbellies
أَلهى البَريَّةَ إِلقاءٌ إِلى هُضُمٍ
كَأَنَّماas though هُوَit حَصبٌfuel فيin التَنانيرِovens
كَأَنَّما هُوَ حَصبٌ في التَنانيرِ
Casting food into bellies has distracted all creatures,
Recreation distracted the open country, throwing it to roughness,
As though it were fuel in ovens.
As if it were pebbles in sieves,
عاثَتِwreaked havoc ذِئابٌwolves فَلَمand did not يَزجُرrestrain مَعَرَّتهاtheir harm
عاثَتِ ذِئابٌ فَلَم يَزجُر مَعَرَّتها
مُستَضعَفونَpowerless people لِفُقدانِfor lack of السَنانيرِarmor
مُستَضعَفونَ لِفُقدانِ السَنانيرِ
Wolves wreaked havoc, and their harm was not checked
Wolves raided, but their raiding was not deterred,
By the powerless, for lack of armor.
By the weakened who lacked armor,
Sol 6.1