إِذا عَثَرَ القَومُ فَاِغفِر لَهُم

فَأَقدامُ كُلِّ فَريقٍ عُثُر

When people stumble, forgive them,

For the feet of every group will falter.

وَإِن دَثَرَ القَلبُ فَأسَف لَهُ

وَلا تَبكِيَنكَ رُبوعٌ دُثُر

And if the heart becomes covered in dust, pity it,

Let not barren places make you weep.

لَو أَنَّ القَبيحَ لَهُ جِثَّةٌ

وَحُمَّلَهُ بازِلٌ لَم يَثُر

If vileness took bodily form,

And a resolute hero carried it, it would not spread.

إِذا كَثُرَ الناسُ شاعَ الفَسا

دُ كَما فَسَدَ القَولُ لَمّا كَثُر

When people became many, vice spread

As speech decayed when it became abundant.

وَذَلِكَ لَو أَكَلَتهُ السِباعُ

لَعادَت ذَواتِ نُفوسٍ خُثُر

If beasts devoured it,

It would turn into souls covered in rags.

لَهُ أَثَرٌ كَجُروحِ السُيوفِ

وَلا أَثَرَ يَصحَبُ مِنهُ الأُثر

It leaves a trace like sword wounds,

No accompanying trace remains.