بَعدَ التَحِيَّةِ وَالكَرامَةِ كُلِّها

أَقضي النَصيحَةَ وَالنَصيحَةُ أَوجَبُ

After greetings and all courtesy

I give advice, and advice is most incumbent

العَدلُ إِن طَلَبَ المُتَوَّجُ جُندَهُ

جُندٌ أَعَزُّ وَقُوَّةٌ ما تُغلَبُ

Justice, if the enthroned one seeks his troops

An invincible army of mightiest power

وَالرِفقُ مِن خَيرِ الأَزمَّةِ لِلفَتى

فيما يَروضُ مِنَ الأُمورِ وَيُركَبُ

And gentleness, for the gallant youth

Is best equipment amidst affairs ridden or driven

فَإِذا مَدَدتَ قُواكَ في أَسبابِهِ

جَذَبَ الجِبالَ إِلَيكَ فيما يَجذُبُ

So if you extend your strength through its means

It will attract mountains to you, attracting

وإِذا طَلَبتَ رِضى النُفوسِ بِغَيرِهِ

جَمَحَ الإِباءُ بِها وَعَزَّ المَطلَبُ

And if you seek the souls' approval through other means

Obstinacy overwhelms them, and the goal is unattainable

احكُم بِما شَرَعَ الكِتابُ وَلا تَخَف

خَصماً يَلومُ وَلا صَديقاً يَعتَبُ

Judge by what the Book has legislated, and fear not

An opponent who blames, nor a friend who reproaches

وَأَقِم لَنا الحَقَّ المُعَطَّلَ وَاِستَقِم

إِن مالَ أَزوَرُ في الحُكومَةِ أَنكَبُ

And establish for us the neglected right, and be steadfast

If the crooked leans in governance and stumbles

الحَقُّ حِصنٌ يَتَّقيهِ وَيَحتَمي

فيهِ الأَشَمُّ مِنَ الحُصونِ الأَهيَبُ

Truth is a fortress, those with intuition seek it out and take refuge

In it, the noblest of fortresses, the most awe-inspiring

إِنَّ البِلادَ لَها حُقوقٌ جَمَّةٌ

ما لِاِمرِئٍ مِنها وَلا لَكَ مَهرَبُ

The country surely has total rights

That no person owns, for you there is no escape

الحُكمُ أَيّامٌ تَمُرُّ حَثيثَةً

وَالذِكرُ يُنشَرُ وَالمُؤَرِّخُ يَكتُبُ

Rule is days passing swiftly

And history spreads and the chronicler writes

فَاِذكُر سَبيلَكَ إِن تَصَرَّمَ عَهدُهُ

وَجَرى لِغايَتِهِ الزَمانُ القُلَّبُ

So remember your path if its era expires

And time, ever-changing, runs its course

وَأَرى مَوازينَ الرِجالِ كَثيرَةً

وَأَجَلُّ ما وَزنَ الرِجالَ المَنصِبُ

And I see the scales of men are numerous

And the most exalted scale by which to weigh men is rank

فَاِختَر لِنَفسِكَ أَيَّ صَوبٍ تَنتحي

وَبِأَيِّ مُضطَرَبٍ تَسيرُ وَتَذهَبُ

So choose for yourself which direction you will incline

And with which confusion will you walk and wander

ما الحُكمُ يَرفَعُ لِلبِلادِ بِناءَها

كَالحُكمُ يَهدِمُ رُكنَها وَيُخَرِّبُ

No rule elevates the land by its foundation

Like rule that destroys its pillar and ruins it

اللَهُ يَنظُرُ مِن جَوانِبِ عَرشِهِ

ما أَنتَ فاعِلُهُ وَطَهَ يَرقُبُ

God looks from all sides of His Throne

At what you will do while He closely watches

تِلكَ النَصيحَةُ صاغَها لَكَ شاعِرٌ

حُرُّ المَقالَةِ صادِقٌ لا يَكذِبُ

That advice a poet has crafted for you

Free in utterance, honest, no liar

الحَقُّ مَذهَبُهُ وَمَطلَبُ نَفسِهِ

يَرضى لَهُ في الكاتِبينَ وَيَغضَبُ

Truth his creed and pursuit of his soul

He accepts for it among writers and is angered

لا يَتَّقي بَطشَ الظَلومِ إِذا اِنتَحى

وَأَشاحَ في هَبَواتِهِ يَتَوَثَّبُ

He does not fear the tyrants' oppression, inclining to it

Tossing about in their wanderings, leaping

ما المَرءُ يُرزَأُ في الحَياةِ وَيُبتَلى

كَالشَعبِ يُرزَأُ بِالوُلاةِ وَيُنكَبُ

A man is not scorned in life and tested

Like a people scorned by governors and abused