كَذَبَ المُلوكُ وَمَن يُحاوِلُ عِندَهُم
شَرَفاً وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُم شُرَفاءُ
The kings have lied, and those who seek
Honor from them, claiming they are noble.
رُتبٌ وَأَلقابٌ تَغُرُّ وَما بِها
فَخرٌ لِحامِلِها وَلا اِستِعلاءُ
Ranks and titles that delude, holding
No pride for their bearer, no ascendance.
آناً تُباعُ وَتَارَةً هِيَ خِدعَةً
تَمْنَى بِشَرِّ سُعاتِها الأُمَراءُ
Now sold, now mere trickery,
Craved at the worst of times by princes.
كَم رُتبَةٍ نَعِمَ الغَبِيُّ بِنَيلِها
مِن حَيثُ جَلَّلَها أَسىً وَشَقاءُ
How many a rank, how the fool rejoices
At attaining, though it brings but pain and woe.
لَو كانَ يَعلَمُ ذُلَّها وَهَوانَها
ما طالَ مِنهُ الزَهوُ وَالخُيَلاءُ
If he but knew its baseness and disgrace,
Vanity and arrogance would quickly flee.
يَلقى الكَرامَةَ حَيثُ كانَ وَفِعلُهُ
جَمُّ المَساوِئِ وَالمَقالُ هُراءُ
Honor is found where deeds are good,
Though mouths speak only evil and lies.
تِلكَ الجَهالَةُ وَالغُرورُ وَباطِلٌ
ما يَصنَعُ الأَغرارُ وَالجَهلاءُ
Ignorance it is, and vain conceit; such
Are the acts of the ignorant and foolish.
ذَنبُ المُلوكِ رَمى الشُعوبَ بِنَكبَةٍ
جُلّى تَنوءُ بِحَملِها الغَبراءُ
The sin of kings has cast nations into calamity,
Bowed down by a burden the humble endure.
لا المَجدُ مَجدٌ بَعدَما عَبَثَت بِهِ
أَيدي المُلوكِ وَلا السَناءُ سَناءُ
Glory is no glory when kings have toyed with it.
Praise is no praise after what they have done.
مالوا عَنِ الشَرَفِ الصَميمِ وَأَحدَثوا
ما شاءَتِ الأَوهامُ وَالأَهواءُ
They turned from true honor and brought about
Whatever wild fancies and whims dictated.
رَفَعوا الطَغامَ عَلى الكِرامِ فَأَشكَلَت
قِيَمُ الرِجالِ وَرابَتِ الأَشياءُ
They raised the rabble above the noble, till
Values became confused and matters muddled.
زَعَموا الثَراءَ فَضيلَةً فَقَضوا لَهُ
ساءَ الَّذي زَعَمَ المُلوكُ وَساءوا
They claimed wealth a virtue, and so ensured
The ruin that the kings claimed was advancement.
يا رُبَّ مُثرٍ لَو أَطاعَ إِلَهَهُ
وَأَبى الدَنايا فاتَهُ الإِثراءُ
Woe to them that ignored their God
And craved only worldly increase.
بَزَّ الضَعيفَ فَمِن نَسائِلِ طِمرِهِ
حُيكت عَلَيهِ البِزَّةُ الحَسناءُ
They clothed the weak in finery, and from his refuse
Were spun silken robes of brilliant hue.
وَعَلى بَقايا دورِهِ وَطُلولِهِ
أَمسَت تُقامُ قُصورُهُ الشَمّاءُ
On the ruins of his walls and towers
Palaces are raised, lofty and proud.
وَإِذا الرُعاةُ تَنَكَّبَت سُبُلَ الهُدى
غَوَتِ الهُداةُ وَطاشَتِ الحُكَماءُ
When shepherds have lost the ways of guidance,
The rightly guided go astray and the wise run mad.
وَإِذا الطبيبُ رَمى العَليلَ بِدائِهِ
فَبِمَن يُؤمَّلُ أن يَزولَ الداءُ
When the physician casts his patient’s illness upon him,
Who then can hope for the sickness to pass?
لَو جاوَرَ الشَرَفُ المُلوكَ لَأَورَقَت
صُمُّ الصُخورِ وَضاءَتِ الظلماءُ
If honor dwelt amongst kings, rocks would bloom
And the darkness glow with light.
ظُلمٌ يُبَرِّحُ بِالبَريءٍ وَغِلظَةٌ
يَشقى بِها الضُعَفاءُ وَالفُقَراءُ
Oppression runs rife, the innocent scourged,
And the poor and weak made to suffer.
الحَقُّ مُنتَهَكُ المَحارِمِ بَينَهُم
وَالعَدلُ وَهمٌ وَالوَفاءُ هَباءُ
Truth and justice are neglected; good faith
Amongst them is but phantasm and mirage.
رَفَعوا العُروشَ عَلى الدِماءِ وَإِنَّما
تَبقى السَفينَةُ ما أَقامَ الماءُ
They built their thrones upon bloodshed, yet
Ships endure only so long as they displace water.
