عَلَيكَyou must بِفِعلِto do الخَيرِgood لَولَمeven if not يَكُنthere were لَهُfor it
عَلَيكَ بِفِعلِ الخَيرِ لَولَم يَكُن لَهُ
مِنَof الفَضلِmerit إِلّاexcept حُسنُهُits beauty فيin المَسامِعِthe ears
مِنَ الفَضلِ إِلّا حُسنُهُ في المَسامِعِ
Do good, even if it had
Do good even if its merit is but the fair impression it leaves on listening ears.
no merit but its pleasing sound to the ears.
I swear by your life, neither ascetics of sure faith nor monastery recluses are as virtuous.
لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot فيin عالَمِthe world of الأَرضِthe earth زاهِدٌan ascetic
لَعَمرُكَ ما في عالَمِ الأَرضِ زاهِدٌ
يَقيناًtruly وَلاnor الرُهبانُthe monks أَهلُinhabitants of الصَوامِعِhermitages
يَقيناً وَلا الرُهبانُ أَهلُ الصَوامِعِ
By your life, there is no ascetic in the earthly world,
And I see the princes of men seize to do their worst when they snatch like flashes of lightning.
truly—not even the monks who dwell in hermitages.
In every land there is a ruler, either righteous or an oppressor courting the lowest greed,
وَأَرىand I see أُمَراءَrulers of الناسِthe people يُمسونَthey become شَرَّهُمthe worst of them
وَأَرى أُمَراءَ الناسِ يُمسونَ شَرَّهُم
إِذاwhen خَطَفواthey snatch خَطفَthe snatching of البُزاةِthe hawks اللَوامِعِflashing
إِذا خَطَفوا خَطفَ البُزاةِ اللَوامِعِ
And I see the people's rulers become the worst among them,
Who does wrong and denies the kingdom to its rightful owner, so eyes brimming with tears are spilled,
when they snatch like flashing hawks.
And around him are men whose faces are like an array that harsh torrents have not softened,
وَفيand in كُلِّevery مِصرٍcity حاكِمٌa ruler فَمُوَفَّقٌso, one rightly guided
وَفي كُلِّ مِصرٍ حاكِمٌ فَمُوَفَّقٌ
وَطاغٍand a tyrant يُحابيshows favoritism فيin أَخَسِّthe basest of المَطامِعِobjects of greed
وَطاغٍ يُحابي في أَخَسِّ المَطامِعِ
And every city has a ruler—one rightly guided,
Upright, for whom wronging the weak is nature, who call the commoners of villages and mosques bedouins,
and another a tyrant, playing favorites for the basest gains.
يَجورُhe acts unjustly فَيَنفيso he takes away المُلكَsovereignty عَنfrom مُستَحَقِّهِthe one entitled to it
يَجورُ فَيَنفي المُلكَ عَن مُستَحَقِّهِ
فَتَسكُبُso pour forth أَسرابُflocks العُيونِthe eyes الدَوامِعِweeping
فَتَسكُبُ أَسرابُ العُيونِ الدَوامِعِ
He acts unjustly, stripping sovereignty from its rightful holder,
so flocks of weeping eyes pour forth tears.
وَمِنand from حَولِهِaround him قَومٌpeople كَأَنَّas though وُجوهَهُمtheir faces
وَمِن حَولِهِ قَومٌ كَأَنَّ وُجوهَهُم
صَفّاًhard rock لَمnot يُلَيِّنsoften بِالغُيوثِby the rains الهَوامِعِpouring
صَفّاً لَم يُلَيِّن بِالغُيوثِ الهَوامِعِ
And around him are people whose faces seem
like hard rock, unsoftened by pouring rains.
عَدولٌ'upright' men لَهُمfor them ظُلمُoppression of الضَعيفِthe weak سَجيَّةٌan innate disposition
عَدولٌ لَهُم ظُلمُ الضَعيفِ سَجيَّةٌ
يُسَمَّونَthey are called أَعرابَBedouins of القُرىtowns وَالجَوامِعِand congregational mosques
يُسَمَّونَ أَعرابَ القُرى وَالجَوامِعِ
'Upright' men, for whom oppressing the weak is second nature,
called the Bedouins of towns and congregational mosques.
Partial English translation: 7 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1