مَوْلاَيَ يَا خَيْرَ مُلُوكِ الْوَرَى

وَنُخْبَةَ النَّصْرِ وَأَرْبَابِهِ

My Master, O best of kings

Choice of victory and its lords

قُمْتَ بِأَمْرِ أَنْتَ أَهْلٌ لَهُ

فَلْتَأَتِ هَذَا الأمْرَ مِنْ بَابهِ

You took charge of what you are fit for

So let this matter come from its proper channel

لاَ تُدْنِ مِنْ بَابِكَ شَخْصاً يَرَى

بأَنَّهُ فِي النَّاسِ أَوْلَى بِهِ

Do not let anyone near your door

Who sees himself as more deserving

وَعِنْدَهُ مَالٌ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ

أيْدٍ تَعَلَّقْنَ بِأَهْدَابِهِ

With money behind him

And hands clutching his skirts

لاَ سِيَّمَا مَنْ دَخَلتْ أُذْنُهُ

وَانْتَفَخَتْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَثْوَابِهِ

Especially one whose ear is inflated

And stomach bloated beneath his clothes

وَخَافَ مِنْهُ الْمُلْكُ فِيمَا مَضَى

وَكَانْ يَنْويِ قَطْعَ أَسْبَابِهِ

And from whom the kingdom feared in the past

Intending to cut off access

قَدْ أَفْسدتُ أَقْوَالَ كُهَانِهِ

فِكَرتَهُ اليوم محسبهِ

I have spoiled the words of his seers

His thoughts today are for his account

يَنْظُرُ فِي الْمِرْآةِ مِنْ وَجْههِ

بَيْنَ مَوَالِيهِ وَأَحْزَابِهِ

He looks in the mirror, his expression

Between his loyalists and partisans

عَرُوسَ مُلْكٍ طَالَمَا أُعْمِلَتْ

فِي عَقْدِهِ أَرْجُلُ خُطَّابِهِ

A royal bride long betrothed

With marriage brokers busy at work

فَهَمُّهُ اْستِبْدَالُ قُوَّادِهِ

وَفِكْرُهُ اسْتِنْخَابُ كُتَّابِهِ

His ambition is to replace his procurers

And his thoughts to appoint his scribes

إِنْ نَامَ كَانَتْ حُلْمَ أَفْكَارِهِ

أَوْ قَامَ كَانَتْ نُصْبَ مِحْرَابِهِ

If he sleeps his dreams are his ideas

If he wakes erecting his pulpit

يَنْقُدُكَ الْغِيبَةَ مَهْمَا خَلا

مَا بَيْنَ أَهْلِيهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ

He criticizes you no matter what

Between his family and companions

وَيَجْذُبُ الْجُنْدَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ

بِخَادِعِ الْقَوْلِ وَخَلاَّبِهِ

And lures the soldiers toward himself

With slick words and wiles

كَانَ بِهِ إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ حَازِماً

وَالْوَفْدُ يَبْغِي إِذْنَ حُجَّابِهِ

With him, if you are not resolute

The delegates seeking access to your chamber

وَالآنَ قَدْ هَابَكَ فَاحْذَرْ فَمَا

يَبْدَأ فَتْكاً غَيْرُ هَيَّابِهِ

And now he covets so beware

None who covet start harm like the greedy

وَقَاطِعُ الدَّوْلَةِ مُسْتَقْبِلٌ

فَلْتَسْتَعِذْ مِنْ شَرِّ أَوْصَابِهِ

The future of the state lies

With the evilest of his ilk

وَاللهُ يَكْفِيكَ شُرُورَ الْعِدَى

لا يَسْتَعِينُ الْعبْدُ إلاَّ بِهِ

God protects you from harm by foes

No one seeks help but Him

وَالْمُلْكُ لَمْ يُقْصَرْ عَلَى أًمَّةٍ

وَإِنَّمَا الْمُلْكُ لِغُلاَّبِهِ

The kingdom isn't limited to one nation

But to its conqueror

هَذَا ابْنُ هُودٍ بَعْدَ إِرْثِ الْعُلَى

فَازَ بَنُو نَصْر بِأَسْلاَبِهِ

This is Hood's heir who won

The children of Nasr won its spoils

لاَ يَسْتَلِذُّ الْعَيْشَ لَيْثُ الشَّرَى

حَتَّى يَذْودَ الأسْدَ عَنْ غابِهِ

The brave lion enjoys no life

Unless it keeps the wolf from its lair

وَإِنْ أَضَعْتَ الْحَزْمَ لَمْ تَنْفَلِتْ

مِنْ ظُفُر الْحَيْنِ وَمِنْ نَابِهِ

If you lack prudence you'll not escape

The claws of betrayal and its fangs

لاَ تَتَّهِمْنِي إِنَّنِي مُمْتَلٍ

مِنْ حِكَمِ الْمُلْكِ وَآدَابِهِ

Do not accuse me, I'm versed

In the wisdom and courtesy of kings

وَعَقْلَكَ الْمَوْهُوبَ حَكِّمْهُ فِي

الأَحْوَالِ وَاشْكُرْ فَضْلَ وَهَّابِهِ

Use your gifted mind to judge

Situations and thank the Grantor

وَكُلُّ مَنْ أَدْلَلْتَهُ قَبْلَهَا

عَلِّمْهُ بِالْمُلْكِ وَأَلْقَابِهِ

And all you coddled before

Teach of the throne and its trappings

لَمْ يُرَ مَلْكٌ فِي زَمَانٍ خَلاَ

قَامَ لَهُ رَسْمٌ بِأَتْرَابِهِ

No kingdom remained for one who built not

Pillars of system and propriety

مَنْ قُلْتَ يَا عَمِّ لَهُ مَرَّةً

ثِقْ بِتَعَاطِيهِ وَإِعْجَابِهِ

If you called one uncle or sir

Trust how he acts and what he expects

أَوْ سَيِّدي دَامَ يَرَى سَيِّدِي

حَقّاً لَهُ قُمْتَ بِإيجَابِهِ

My lord - as long as one sees

Himself deserving he rose to meet it

وَابْسُطْ عَلَى الْخَلَقِ مِنَ الْعَدْلِ مَا

يَسْتَتِرُ الْخَلْقُ بِجِلْبَابِهِ

And bring the people justice to hide beneath

So people take cover in its cloak

وَأَحْكِمِ السِّلْمَ لَهُمْ عَاقِداً

عُقْدَةَ غِرٍّ ظَاهِرٍ نَابِهِ

And make peace binding them

In a firm untainted pact

وَمَهِّدِ السُّلْطَانَ فِعْلَ امْرِىءٍ

يُخَلِّفُ الْمُلْكَ لأَعْقَابِهِ

And pave the path of one whose deeds

Bequeath the rule to his offspring

وَبَعْدَ فَرْضِ الْحَجِّ لاَبُدَّ لِي

مِنْ دَارِ مَوْلاَيَ وَمِنْ بَابِهِ

And after the duty of Hajj, I must

Return to my Master's abode and door