يَسودُ الناسَ زَيدٌ بَعدَ عَمرٍو

يَسودُ الناسَ زَيدٌ بَعدَ عَمرٍو

كَذاكَ تَقَلُّبُ الدَولاتِ دُولَه

كَذاكَ تَقَلُّبُ الدَولاتِ دُولَه

Zayd rules the people after Amr.

Such is the shifting of reigns—a turn of fortune.

وَرُبَّ شَهادَةٍ وَرَدَت بِزورٍ

وَرُبَّ شَهادَةٍ وَرَدَت بِزورٍ

أَقامَ لِنَصِّها القاضي عُدولَه

أَقامَ لِنَصِّها القاضي عُدولَه

And many a testimony has been presented falsely;

The judge brought forward his upright witnesses to support its text.

وَمِن شَرِّ البَرِيَّةِ رُبَّ مُلكٍ

وَمِن شَرِّ البَرِيَّةِ رُبَّ مُلكٍ

يُريدُ رَعِيَّةً أَن يَسجُدوا لَه

يُريدُ رَعِيَّةً أَن يَسجُدوا لَه

And among the worst of humankind is a lord of a kingdom

Who wants his subjects to prostrate themselves before him.