عِندَ المُلوكِ مَضَرَّةٌ وَمَنافِعُ

عِندَ المُلوكِ مَضَرَّةٌ وَمَنافِعُ

وَأَرى البَرامِكَ لا تَضُرُّ وَتَنفَعُ

وَأَرى البَرامِكَ لا تَضُرُّ وَتَنفَعُ

With kings come harm and benefits;

With kings there's harm and benefit too,

And I find the Barmakids do no harm and bring benefit.

And I see no harm in being obscure or famous.

إِنَّ العُروقَ إِذا اِستَسَرَّت في الثَرى

إِنَّ العُروقَ إِذا اِستَسَرَّت في الثَرى

أَندى النَباتُ بِها وَطابَ المَزرَعُ

أَندى النَباتُ بِها وَطابَ المَزرَعُ

Indeed, when roots lie hidden in the moist earth,

The roots, once hidden in the ground,

The plants grow moist through them, and the field flourishes.

Make greener the plants, the field more gracious.

وإِذا جَهِلتَ مِن اِمرِئٍ أَعراقَهُ

وإِذا جَهِلتَ مِن اِمرِئٍ أَعراقَهُ

وَقَديمَهُ فَاِنظُر إِلى ما يَصنَعُ

وَقَديمَهُ فَاِنظُر إِلى ما يَصنَعُ

And if you do not know a man's ancestry

If you know not a man's pedigree or past,

And his past, then look at what he does.

Look to what he does-there the test is.