العدلُ فرضٌ وبذلُ الفضلِ نافلةٌ

العدلُ فرضٌ وبذلُ الفضلِ نافلةٌ

يا ابنَ الكرامِ فعدلاً ثم إفضالا

يا ابنَ الكرامِ فعدلاً ثم إفضالا

Justice is a duty; bestowing bounty is a voluntary act.

Justice is an obligation, and bestowing gifts is voluntary

O son of the noble, justice first, then generosity.

O son of the generous, be just and then generous

ملكتَ مالكَ جُوداً لا يُقامُ له

ملكتَ مالكَ جُوداً لا يُقامُ له

والعدلُ أفضلُ ما ملكتَهُ المالا

والعدلُ أفضلُ ما ملكتَهُ المالا

You have entrusted your wealth to generosity none can rival;

You have possessed wealth, being generous in a way that has no equal

Yet justice is the best thing to entrust with wealth.

And justice is the best of what you possess, O wealth

أعطيتَ قوماً وما استكفيتَهم عملاً

أعطيتَ قوماً وما استكفيتَهم عملاً

أسنى عطاءٍ وما جاءوك سُؤَّالا

أسنى عطاءٍ وما جاءوك سُؤَّالا

You gave people, though you had asked no work of them,

You have given people gifts without asking anything of them in return

The finest bounty, though they did not come to you as petitioners.

The most excellent giving, and they did not come to you asking

وحظُّ كتّابِك الأشقين أنْ بُخسوا

وحظُّ كتّابِك الأشقين أنْ بُخسوا

حقوقهم وهمُ الأوفَونَ أعمالا

حقوقهم وهمُ الأوفَونَ أعمالا

Yet your wretched secretaries' lot is to be denied

The lot of your unfortunate writers is that they were deprived

Their dues, though they fulfill their duties most faithfully.

Of their rights, even though they were the most diligent workers

كُتّابُ دولتِك الميمونِ طائرُها

كُتّابُ دولتِك الميمونِ طائرُها

أضحوا وهم أسوأ الكتّاب أحوالا

أضحوا وهم أسوأ الكتّاب أحوالا

The secretaries of your state, whose omen-bird is auspicious,

The writers of your blessed state are its birds

Have become the worst-off of all secretaries.

Who have become the most wretched of writers in their condition

عبيدُ خِدمتكَ المُعطوكَ جهدَهُمُ

عبيدُ خِدمتكَ المُعطوكَ جهدَهُمُ

في غايةِ الجهد إقتاراً وإقلالا

في غايةِ الجهد إقتاراً وإقلالا

The slaves in your service, who give you their full effort,

The servants in your service who have given you their full effort

Are in the deepest hardship, in privation and poverty.

Are in dire poverty and privation

فاعطفْ عليهم بفضلٍ منك ينعشُهُم

فاعطفْ عليهم بفضلٍ منك ينعشُهُم

يا واحدَ الناس إحساناً وإجمالا

يا واحدَ الناس إحساناً وإجمالا

So turn kindly to them with bounty of yours that revives them,

So show them favor with a gift from you that will revive them

O you unrivaled among people in kindness and graciousness.

O most benevolent and generous of people

صُنْ مَنْ يصونك عن ثُقل تُحمله

صُنْ مَنْ يصونك عن ثُقل تُحمله

يَزِدْكَ صوناً ويحملْ عنك أثقالا

يَزِدْكَ صوناً ويحملْ عنك أثقالا

Protect whoever shields you from a burden laid upon you;

Protect those who protect you from the burden you carry

He will protect you still more and carry burdens for you.

May he give you more protection and carry burdens from you

لا تحتقرهُمْ وإن أصبحتَ فوقهُم

لا تحتقرهُمْ وإن أصبحتَ فوقهُم

فالسَّمكُ بالأُسّ مدعومٌ وإنْ طالا

فالسَّمكُ بالأُسّ مدعومٌ وإنْ طالا

Do not despise them, even though you are now above them;

Do not look down on them, even if you have risen above them

For the roof is upheld by the foundation, however high it rises.

For the fish is supported by the hook, no matter how long

فارفُقْ بأسّ بناءٍ أنت ذِروتُهُ

فارفُقْ بأسّ بناءٍ أنت ذِروتُهُ

فقد غدوتَ وما نالوهُ زِلزالا

فقد غدوتَ وما نالوهُ زِلزالا

So be gentle with the foundation of a building whose summit you are;

So be gentle with the foundation you are the pinnacle of

For you and what they have received have become an earthquake.

For you have risen while they have not attained a shaking

إن البناءَ متى مادتْ قواعدُهُ

إن البناءَ متى مادتْ قواعدُهُ

مالَ البناءُ ولن يبقى إذا مالا

مالَ البناءُ ولن يبقى إذا مالا

Indeed, whenever a building's foundations sway,

When the foundations of a building extend

The building leans, and will not endure once it leans.

The building inclines and will not remain if it inclines