كَثَّر الله زُمرةَ الأَغبياءِ

كَثَّر الله زُمرةَ الأَغبياءِ

وجزاهُم خيرا عنِ الأذكيَاء

وجزاهُم خيرا عنِ الأذكيَاء

May God swell the ranks of fools,

God multiplied the throng of fools,

and reward them well on behalf of the clever,

And rewarded them well over the wise,

وَوقاهُم من كلِّ عَينٍ تُؤدِّي

وَوقاهُم من كلِّ عَينٍ تُؤدِّي

بِهمُ لانقراَضهم وانقِضَائي

بِهمُ لانقراَضهم وانقِضَائي

and protect them from every evil eye that leads

And protected them from every eye

them to extinction and me to my demise.

That would lead to their extinction and end.

لا عَدِمنا لَهم وُجوداًفلولا

لا عَدِمنا لَهم وُجوداًفلولا

هُم لمَا بأن قطُّ فضلُ الذكاء

هُم لمَا بأن قطُّ فضلُ الذكاء

May we never lack their presence; for without

We could not exist without them, for if not

them, the merit of intelligence would never have been apparent,

For them, the merit of wisdom would not shine.

وذَوو القَدرِ والمكَانةِ ساوَوا

وذَوو القَدرِ والمكَانةِ ساوَوا

غيرَهُم من حُثالةِ الدَّهمَاء

غيرَهُم من حُثالةِ الدَّهمَاء

and those of worth and standing would have equaled

The ignorant and the wise attained equal

others among the dregs of the rabble.

Status and position over the base rabble.

خلقَ اللهُ في التَّبايُن سِرّاً

خلقَ اللهُ في التَّبايُن سِرّاً

بل حوَى فيه حكمةَ الحُكماء

بل حوَى فيه حكمةَ الحُكماء

God created a secret in difference;

God created contrast for a mystery,

nay, He gathered within it the wisdom of the sages.

Nay, He embedded in it the wisdom of sages.

فَبهِ امتازَ عالِمٌ من جَهُولٍ

فَبهِ امتازَ عالِمٌ من جَهُولٍ

وكَريمٌ عن زمرةِ البُخَلاء

وكَريمٌ عن زمرةِ البُخَلاء

Thus, through it, a scholar stands apart from an ignoramus,

By it the scholar was distinguished from the ignorant,

and a generous person from the company of misers.

And the generous from the clan of misers.

آهِ لولاَهم لا استَوى كلُّ ضِدٍّ

آهِ لولاَهم لا استَوى كلُّ ضِدٍّ

مَعَ ضِدٍّ بلا كبيرِ عَنَاء

مَعَ ضِدٍّ بلا كبيرِ عَنَاء

Ah, but for them, every opposite would be equal

Oh if not for them, every opposite

to its opposite, without much trouble;

Would equal its opposite without great toil.

واستَوى في الأنامِ خيرٌ وشرٌ

واستَوى في الأنامِ خيرٌ وشرٌ

وتَساوى نورٌ معَ الظَّلماء

وتَساوى نورٌ معَ الظَّلماء

and good and evil would be equal among humankind,

And among people good and evil would equal,

and light would be equal to darkness.

And light would equal the dark.

ولِذا فليَدُم لئامٌ وبُخَّا

ولِذا فليَدُم لئامٌ وبُخَّا

لٌ وسُفلٌ وعاشَ أهلُ الغَبَاء

لٌ وسُفلٌ وعاشَ أهلُ الغَبَاء

And so, may the vile and mi-

And so let there persist scoundrels and incompetents,

sers and lowlifes endure; long live the people of folly!

And lowly ones, and let the ignorant live.