بَعدَ التَحِيَّةِ وَالكَرامَةِ كُلِّها

بَعدَ التَحِيَّةِ وَالكَرامَةِ كُلِّها

أَقضي النَصيحَةَ وَالنَصيحَةُ أَوجَبُ

أَقضي النَصيحَةَ وَالنَصيحَةُ أَوجَبُ

After greetings and all due honor,

After greetings and all courtesy

I offer counsel, for counsel is more binding.

I give advice, and advice is most incumbent

العَدلُ إِن طَلَبَ المُتَوَّجُ جُندَهُ

العَدلُ إِن طَلَبَ المُتَوَّجُ جُندَهُ

جُندٌ أَعَزُّ وَقُوَّةٌ ما تُغلَبُ

جُندٌ أَعَزُّ وَقُوَّةٌ ما تُغلَبُ

Justice, if the crowned ruler seeks his army,

Justice, if the enthroned one seeks his troops

Is a mightier army and a force never overcome.

An invincible army of mightiest power

وَالرِفقُ مِن خَيرِ الأَزمَّةِ لِلفَتى

وَالرِفقُ مِن خَيرِ الأَزمَّةِ لِلفَتى

فيما يَروضُ مِنَ الأُمورِ وَيُركَبُ

فيما يَروضُ مِنَ الأُمورِ وَيُركَبُ

And gentleness is among the finest reins for a young man

And gentleness, for the gallant youth

In the affairs that he tames and that are ridden.

Is best equipment amidst affairs ridden or driven

فَإِذا مَدَدتَ قُواكَ في أَسبابِهِ

فَإِذا مَدَدتَ قُواكَ في أَسبابِهِ

جَذَبَ الجِبالَ إِلَيكَ فيما يَجذُبُ

جَذَبَ الجِبالَ إِلَيكَ فيما يَجذُبُ

So if you extend your powers through its means,

So if you extend your strength through its means

It draws mountains to you among the things it draws.

It will attract mountains to you, attracting

وإِذا طَلَبتَ رِضى النُفوسِ بِغَيرِهِ

وإِذا طَلَبتَ رِضى النُفوسِ بِغَيرِهِ

جَمَحَ الإِباءُ بِها وَعَزَّ المَطلَبُ

جَمَحَ الإِباءُ بِها وَعَزَّ المَطلَبُ

And if you seek souls' consent by other means,

And if you seek the souls' approval through other means

Defiance bolts away with them, and the goal proves elusive.

Obstinacy overwhelms them, and the goal is unattainable

احكُم بِما شَرَعَ الكِتابُ وَلا تَخَف

احكُم بِما شَرَعَ الكِتابُ وَلا تَخَف

خَصماً يَلومُ وَلا صَديقاً يَعتَبُ

خَصماً يَلومُ وَلا صَديقاً يَعتَبُ

Rule by what the Book has ordained, and do not fear

Judge by what the Book has legislated, and fear not

An adversary who blames you, nor a friend who reproaches you.

An opponent who blames, nor a friend who reproaches

وَأَقِم لَنا الحَقَّ المُعَطَّلَ وَاِستَقِم

وَأَقِم لَنا الحَقَّ المُعَطَّلَ وَاِستَقِم

إِن مالَ أَزوَرُ في الحُكومَةِ أَنكَبُ

إِن مالَ أَزوَرُ في الحُكومَةِ أَنكَبُ

And uphold for us the justice left unenforced, and stand upright,

And establish for us the neglected right, and be steadfast

If a crooked, wayward man in government goes astray.

If the crooked leans in governance and stumbles

الحَقُّ حِصنٌ يَتَّقيهِ وَيَحتَمي

الحَقُّ حِصنٌ يَتَّقيهِ وَيَحتَمي

فيهِ الأَشَمُّ مِنَ الحُصونِ الأَهيَبُ

فيهِ الأَشَمُّ مِنَ الحُصونِ الأَهيَبُ

Truth is a fortress, feared and sought as a refuge

Truth is a fortress, those with intuition seek it out and take refuge

By the loftiest, most awe-inspiring of fortresses.

In it, the noblest of fortresses, the most awe-inspiring

إِنَّ البِلادَ لَها حُقوقٌ جَمَّةٌ

إِنَّ البِلادَ لَها حُقوقٌ جَمَّةٌ

ما لِاِمرِئٍ مِنها وَلا لَكَ مَهرَبُ

ما لِاِمرِئٍ مِنها وَلا لَكَ مَهرَبُ

Indeed, the country has rights in abundance,

The country surely has total rights

From which no person has any escape, nor do you.

That no person owns, for you there is no escape

الحُكمُ أَيّامٌ تَمُرُّ حَثيثَةً

الحُكمُ أَيّامٌ تَمُرُّ حَثيثَةً

وَالذِكرُ يُنشَرُ وَالمُؤَرِّخُ يَكتُبُ

وَالذِكرُ يُنشَرُ وَالمُؤَرِّخُ يَكتُبُ

Rule is but days that pass swiftly,

Rule is days passing swiftly

And remembrance is passed on, and the historian writes.

And history spreads and the chronicler writes

فَاِذكُر سَبيلَكَ إِن تَصَرَّمَ عَهدُهُ

فَاِذكُر سَبيلَكَ إِن تَصَرَّمَ عَهدُهُ

وَجَرى لِغايَتِهِ الزَمانُ القُلَّبُ

وَجَرى لِغايَتِهِ الزَمانُ القُلَّبُ

So remember your path, should its term expire,

So remember your path if its era expires

And ever-changing time run to its end.

And time, ever-changing, runs its course

وَأَرى مَوازينَ الرِجالِ كَثيرَةً

وَأَرى مَوازينَ الرِجالِ كَثيرَةً

وَأَجَلُّ ما وَزنَ الرِجالَ المَنصِبُ

وَأَجَلُّ ما وَزنَ الرِجالَ المَنصِبُ

And I see many scales for weighing men,

And I see the scales of men are numerous

And the greatest scale that weighs men is office.

And the most exalted scale by which to weigh men is rank

فَاِختَر لِنَفسِكَ أَيَّ صَوبٍ تَنتحي

فَاِختَر لِنَفسِكَ أَيَّ صَوبٍ تَنتحي

وَبِأَيِّ مُضطَرَبٍ تَسيرُ وَتَذهَبُ

وَبِأَيِّ مُضطَرَبٍ تَسيرُ وَتَذهَبُ

So choose for yourself which direction you will take,

So choose for yourself which direction you will incline

And in which arena you will travel and go.

And with which confusion will you walk and wander

ما الحُكمُ يَرفَعُ لِلبِلادِ بِناءَها

ما الحُكمُ يَرفَعُ لِلبِلادِ بِناءَها

كَالحُكمُ يَهدِمُ رُكنَها وَيُخَرِّبُ

كَالحُكمُ يَهدِمُ رُكنَها وَيُخَرِّبُ

Rule that raises the country's edifice is not

No rule elevates the land by its foundation

Like rule that demolishes its pillar and lays it waste.

Like rule that destroys its pillar and ruins it

اللَهُ يَنظُرُ مِن جَوانِبِ عَرشِهِ

اللَهُ يَنظُرُ مِن جَوانِبِ عَرشِهِ

ما أَنتَ فاعِلُهُ وَطَهَ يَرقُبُ

ما أَنتَ فاعِلُهُ وَطَهَ يَرقُبُ

God looks from the sides of His throne

God looks from all sides of His Throne

At what you do, and Taha keeps watch.

At what you will do while He closely watches

تِلكَ النَصيحَةُ صاغَها لَكَ شاعِرٌ

تِلكَ النَصيحَةُ صاغَها لَكَ شاعِرٌ

حُرُّ المَقالَةِ صادِقٌ لا يَكذِبُ

حُرُّ المَقالَةِ صادِقٌ لا يَكذِبُ

That is the counsel a poet fashioned for you,

That advice a poet has crafted for you

Free in speech, truthful, never lying.

Free in utterance, honest, no liar

الحَقُّ مَذهَبُهُ وَمَطلَبُ نَفسِهِ

الحَقُّ مَذهَبُهُ وَمَطلَبُ نَفسِهِ

يَرضى لَهُ في الكاتِبينَ وَيَغضَبُ

يَرضى لَهُ في الكاتِبينَ وَيَغضَبُ

Truth is his creed and his soul's desire;

Truth his creed and pursuit of his soul

For its sake, among writers, he is pleased and grows angry.

He accepts for it among writers and is angered

لا يَتَّقي بَطشَ الظَلومِ إِذا اِنتَحى

لا يَتَّقي بَطشَ الظَلومِ إِذا اِنتَحى

وَأَشاحَ في هَبَواتِهِ يَتَوَثَّبُ

وَأَشاحَ في هَبَواتِهِ يَتَوَثَّبُ

He does not fear the tyrant's violence when the tyrant attacks,

He does not fear the tyrants' oppression, inclining to it

And rushes amid his dust-clouds, springing to strike.

Tossing about in their wanderings, leaping

ما المَرءُ يُرزَأُ في الحَياةِ وَيُبتَلى

ما المَرءُ يُرزَأُ في الحَياةِ وَيُبتَلى

كَالشَعبِ يُرزَأُ بِالوُلاةِ وَيُنكَبُ

كَالشَعبِ يُرزَأُ بِالوُلاةِ وَيُنكَبُ

No man is afflicted and tried in life

A man is not scorned in life and tested

Like the people afflicted by rulers and struck by calamity.

Like a people scorned by governors and abused