لعمري لقد أظهرت تيهاً كأنما

لعمري لقد أظهرت تيهاً كأنما

تولّيت للفضل بن مروان عُكْبرا

تولّيت للفضل بن مروان عُكْبرا

By my life, you have shown such haughty pride, as though

My life! You have certainly displayed confusion as though

Al-Fadl ibn Marwan had made you governor of Ukbara.

You had allied yourself to al-Fadl ibn Marwan arrogantly

وما كنت أخشى لو وليت مكانةً

وما كنت أخشى لو وليت مكانةً

عليَّ أبا العباس أنْ تتغّيرا

عليَّ أبا العباس أنْ تتغّيرا

I had never feared that, if you were given a station

And I was not afraid that if I were in a position of authority

Above me, Abu al-Abbas, you would change.

Over you Abu al-‘Abbas you would change

لحفظ عيون النفط أحدثت نخوة

لحفظ عيون النفط أحدثت نخوة

فكيف به لو كان مسكاً وعنبرا

فكيف به لو كان مسكاً وعنبرا

Guarding the oil springs has filled you with conceit;

To preserve the oil wells, you acted generously

What would you be like, then, if it were musk and ambergris?

So what would it be if it were musk and ambergris?

دع الكبرَ واستبق التواضع إنه

دع الكبرَ واستبق التواضع إنه

قبيح بوالي النَفطِ أنْ يتكبرا

قبيح بوالي النَفطِ أنْ يتكبرا

Put pride aside and hold fast to humility; for

Leave arrogance and pursue humility, for

It is shameful for a governor of oil to grow arrogant.

It is ugly for the governor of the oil to be arrogant