وَمِن عَجَب أَن يَدَّعي العَدلَ ظالم

وَمِن عَجَب أَن يَدَّعي العَدلَ ظالم

فَيَدعوه قَوم عارِفا وَهوَ جاهِلُ

فَيَدعوه قَوم عارِفا وَهوَ جاهِلُ

And it is strange that a wrongdoer should claim to be just,

How strange that an oppressor claims justice,

so people call him knowledgeable, though he is ignorant.

And people who know him call him ignorant.

إِذا لَم تَكُن تَحوي المَناصب أَهلها

إِذا لَم تَكُن تَحوي المَناصب أَهلها

فَلَيسَ عَجيباً أن حَوَتها الأَراذِلُ

فَلَيسَ عَجيباً أن حَوَتها الأَراذِلُ

If posts are not held by those worthy of them,

When positions are not filled by those qualified,

then it is no wonder that the ignoble have occupied them.

It is no wonder they are filled by the ignoble.