مَنْ ملَكَ الدنيا ودانَتْ لهُ

مَنْ ملَكَ الدنيا ودانَتْ لهُ

فالجهلُ كلُّ الجهلِ أنْ يُحسدا

فالجهلُ كلُّ الجهلِ أنْ يُحسدا

Whoever rules the world and has it bow to him—

Whoever possesses the world and it submits to him

it is ignorance—utter ignorance—to envy him.

The epitome of ignorance is to envy him

بقدْرِ ما ترفعُ أصحابَها

بقدْرِ ما ترفعُ أصحابَها

تَحُطُّهُمْ فالرأيُ قربُ المدى

تَحُطُّهُمْ فالرأيُ قربُ المدى

As high as it raises its companions,

In proportion to how they raise their people

it brings them low; prudence lies in keeping one's hopes short.

It debases them, for judgement is near at hand

ويلي على المغرى بعليائِها

ويلي على المغرى بعليائِها

سيضحكُ اليومَ ويبكي غدا

سيضحكُ اليومَ ويبكي غدا

Woe to me for the one beguiled by its heights!

Woe unto him deluded by its arrogance

He will laugh today and weep tomorrow.

Today it laughs, tomorrow it cries

تعطيهِ كالمشفقِ لكنَّها

تعطيهِ كالمشفقِ لكنَّها

تبطشُ في الأخذِ كبطشِ العدى

تبطشُ في الأخذِ كبطشِ العدى

It gives to him like one who cares, but

It gives like a tender mother, but

in taking, it strikes with the violence of enemies.

Seizes back with the grasp of an enemy

مبتدأٌ حلوٌ لمَنْ ذاقَهُ

مبتدأٌ حلوٌ لمَنْ ذاقَهُ

ولكنِ انظرْ خبرَ المبتدا

ولكنِ انظرْ خبرَ المبتدا

A sweet beginning for whoever tastes it—

A sweet beginning for one who tastes it

and yet, consider the outcome of that beginning.

But look to the end of the affair

غدارةٌ خوّانةٌ أهلُها

غدارةٌ خوّانةٌ أهلُها

ما زهدَ الزهادُ فيها سدى

ما زهدَ الزهادُ فيها سدى

It is treacherous; its people are faithless.

Deceitful, treacherous are its people

The ascetics did not turn away from it in vain.

Not in vain have ascetics renounced it