مدارسٌ ما تولّى أمرَها أحدٌ

مدارسٌ ما تولّى أمرَها أحدٌ

إلاّ عتا ونضى فيها بواترَهُ

إلاّ عتا ونضى فيها بواترَهُ

Schools—no one has taken charge of them

Schools, when someone takes charge of them,

Without growing tyrannical and unsheathing his keen swords within them.

Will assuredly decline and their excellence fade away.

وجامعٌ لا يُرى للمستحقِّ على

وجامعٌ لا يُرى للمستحقِّ على

سواه فضلاً وأعمى اللهُ ناظرَهْ

سواه فضلاً وأعمى اللهُ ناظرَهْ

And a mosque where the deserving are given no preference over

A university where none but the undeserving

Anyone else—may God blind its overseer.

Are favored - may God blind its overseer!