شوطُك الحاضر اقتبلتَ أوانَهْ

وتخيَّرتَ للمدى فرسانَهْ

You have reached the present stage in due time,

And chosen the best horsemen for the journey.

وتقدّمت للجهاد جديداً

في رجال تعودوا ميدانه

You progressed anew to the struggle,

Through men accustomed to its arena.

دار هذا الزمان بالعقد والحل

ل وبالقرب والنوى دورانه

This era alternates between ties and loose ends,

Between kinship and good faith its return.

ما جرى ردّ راضيَ الحال غضبا

ن كما رد راضياً غضبانه

What the contented did in anger out of rejection,

The angry one did the same out of acceptance.

كان سر الأقدار عهدك حتى

أعلنته فأحسنتْ إعلانه

The secret of fate was your era until

You made it evident and announced it well.

وأتت تشرح الكتاب الذي أن

تَ من النور كاتبٌ عنوانه

And there came explaining the book that

A writer of light inscribed its title.

اختياراً أو اضطراراً تقلد

صورة العبء كله وعيانه

Willingly or inevitably you assumed

The image of the entire burden and its aid.

وامض بالحزم والسداد وصرّف

ما توليتَ قيده وعنانه

So go ahead with determination and integrity,

Take hold of what you assumed its reins.

دُولاً سادت الشؤون ليلقى

كل شأن ميعاده وضمانه

States have ruled so every matter finds

Its appointed time and guarantee.

أنت من في قواه جالت مرامي

ه وساوى مراسه برهانه

You are the one whose abilities revealed his goals

And equated his insights to proof.

لك في الحكم نية السلم كانت

غاية قبل أن ترى سلطانه

Your intention in rule was the peace at first

Before you saw its authority.

وأحق الحكام بالطاعة العف

فُ ومن كان حزبه إحسانه

The most deserving of obedience and pardon

Is he whose party is benevolence.

ومقيم الميزان في الناس عدلاً

يُكبرُ الناس بينهم ميزانه

And the one who establishes justice among people

Magnifies among them its scale.

والذي مارس المعارك جوّاً

هو أدرى بصيده عقبانه

The one experienced with battles knows best

How to hunt his prey and falcon.

وحليف الجبار بعد خصام

هو أولى بدفعه عدوانه

The ally of the oppressor after dispute

Is more qualified to repel his aggression.

وأجل الأبطال والأرض نارٌ

من حمى من لهيبها أوطانه

The best of heroes, while the land is aflame

Are those who protected its homelands from its blaze.

وإذا هادن الكريم كراماً

من أعاديه أصبحوا أعوانه

And if the generous makes peace with his enemies

They become his aides by morning.

ورواسي الجبال أيسر للإن

سان حملاً من حمله أضغانه

Mountain bedrocks are easier for man to carry

Than carrying his grudges.

فاز من يطلب الوزارة لل

ه ويرجو نيابة وحصانه

Whoever seeks authority for God’s sake and hopes for His aid has succeeded,

While no honor of office is gained

لم ينل عزة المناصب إلا

من أطالت بلاءه وامتحانه

Except by one whose long affliction and trial

Prevented cunning and temptation.

منعت عصمة التجاريب فيها

أن تكون الخداعة الفتانه

When the kings enabled the advisors by counsel,

They strengthened its pillars.

وإذا مكن الولاة مشيرو ال

ملك بالرأي مكنوا أركانه

It is best to respect one whose past

Paved the ascent and elucidated it.

والصواب احترام آت لماض

مَهَّدَ المرتقَى له وأبانه

The most pious successors are those who found the predecessors

Virtuous, all equals.

وأبر الأخلاف من وجد الأس

لاف في كل صالح أقرانَه

Showing enmity to protectors during major crises

Is the greatest of all treachery.

وتعادي الحماة في الأزمة الكب

رى أمام الخطوب كل الخِيانه

The brother who bears excuses is more worthy

Of your affection than to ever abandon him.

والأخ الحامل المعاذير أهل

من أخيه أن لا يرى هجرانه

A young man’s tongue is his passion. If

You master his passion you have mastered his tongue.

ولسان الفتى هواه فإن تم

لكْ هواه فقد ملكت لسانه

Every reproach comes only to the reproached.

Do not fear its mention or forget it.

كل عتب لم يأت إلا لِعُتْبَى

لا تخَف ذكره ولا نسيانه

One who feared remoteness will not

Forfeit the safety of a relative’s nearness.

والذي هابه الأباعد لا تس

لِبُهُ فرقة القريب أمانه

A young man may lose his luxury but does not

Lose his faith.

ولقد يفقد الفتى عيشه الرغ

د ولا يفقد الفتى إيمانه

So if a side turns away from you indifferently then leave it

For its salvation and await its acceptance.

فإذا مال جانب عنك فاترك

ه لنجواه وانتظر رضوانه

Where is my eloquence after the era

Repeated its eloquence?

أين من ضجة الزمان بياني

بعد ما ردَّدَ الزمانُ بيانه

I am one who judges people and gives

Every side from me its proper place.

أنا من حاسب الرجال وأعطى

كل ندٍّ من جانبيه مكانه

I remain loyal and true to reformers

Who fulfills a duty and delivers a trust.

أنا للمصلحين أبقى وأوفى

من قضى واجباً وأدَّى أمانه

Do the countries starve while the Nile flows

In their fields and wealth fills the stores?

أتجوع البلاد والنيل جارٍ

في رباها والمال ملء الخزانه

And the just King faces his subjects

Receiving his affection and tenderness.

وأمام الرعية الملك الصا

لح تلقى حنوَّهُ وحنانه

His good deeds suffice us, and the outcome of matters is

For God alone, Praise be to Him.

حسبنا الطيبات منه وعقبى ال

أمر للّه وحده سبحانه