أَرى دَهرَنا فيهِ عَجائِبُ جَمَّةٌ

أَرى دَهرَنا فيهِ عَجائِبُ جَمَّةٌ

إِذا اِستُعرِضَت بِالعَقلِ ضَلَّ لَها العَقلُ

إِذا اِستُعرِضَت بِالعَقلِ ضَلَّ لَها العَقلُ

I see in our age wonders in abundance;

I see many wonders in our age;

when they are examined by reason, reason itself is bewildered by them.

When examined by reason, they leave reason bewildered.

أَرى كُلَّ ذي مالٍ يَسودُ بِمالِهِ

أَرى كُلَّ ذي مالٍ يَسودُ بِمالِهِ

وَإِن كانَ لا أَصلٌ هُناكَ وَلا فَضلُ

وَإِن كانَ لا أَصلٌ هُناكَ وَلا فَضلُ

I see every man of wealth hold sway through his wealth,

I see every man of wealth gain ascendancy through his wealth,

though he has neither pedigree nor merit to his name.

Even if he has neither noble lineage nor merit.

وَآخرَ مَنسوباً إِلى الرَأيِ خامِلاً

وَآخرَ مَنسوباً إِلى الرَأيِ خامِلاً

وَأَنوَكَ مَخبولاً لَهُ الجاهُ وَالنُبلُ

وَأَنوَكَ مَخبولاً لَهُ الجاهُ وَالنُبلُ

And another, credited with sound judgment, remains obscure,

And another, known for sound judgment, left in obscurity,

while an utter fool, witless, possesses prestige and noble rank.

And a witless, addled man enjoying prestige and noble standing.

فَلا ذا بِفَضلِ الرَأيِ أَدرَكَ بُلغَةً

فَلا ذا بِفَضلِ الرَأيِ أَدرَكَ بُلغَةً

وَلَم أَرَ هَذا ضَرَّهُ النَوكُ وَالجَهلُ

وَلَم أَرَ هَذا ضَرَّهُ النَوكُ وَالجَهلُ

The former, for all his sound judgment, gained not even enough to live on,

So the former has not secured a livelihood through his excellent judgment,

nor have I seen folly and ignorance do the latter any harm.

Nor have I seen the latter harmed by folly and ignorance.

وَما الفَضلُ في هَذا الزَمان لِأَهلِهِ

وَما الفَضلُ في هَذا الزَمان لِأَهلِهِ

وَلَكِنَّ ذا المالِ الكَثيرِ لَهُ الفَضلُ

وَلَكِنَّ ذا المالِ الكَثيرِ لَهُ الفَضلُ

Merit, in this age, does not belong to those worthy of it;

In this age, distinction is not for those who deserve it,

rather, distinction belongs to the man of abundant wealth.

But distinction belongs to the man of abundant wealth.

فَشَرف ذَوي الأَموالِ حَيثُ لَقيتَهُم

فَشَرف ذَوي الأَموالِ حَيثُ لَقيتَهُم

فَقَولُهُمُ قَولٌ وَفِعلُهُمُ فِعلُ

فَقَولُهُمُ قَولٌ وَفِعلُهُمُ فِعلُ

So honor the wealthy wherever you meet them:

So honor the wealthy wherever you meet them,

for their word carries weight, and their deed takes effect.

For their words carry weight, and their deeds matter.