إن كنت تعجب من تفاوت ما ترى

إن كنت تعجب من تفاوت ما ترى

في الناس من خلق وعقل فاسد

في الناس من خلق وعقل فاسد

If you marvel at the disparities you see

If you are surprised at the differences you see

Among people in character and unsound intellect,

Among people in nature and corrupt minds,

فاعجب فقيه لمن تأمّل عبرة

فاعجب فقيه لمن تأمّل عبرة

ما بين ناقصهم وبين الزائد

ما بين ناقصهم وبين الزائد

Then marvel, scholar: for whoever reflects, there is a lesson

Then be amazed, O learned one, at the lesson

In what lies between the deficient among them and the superior.

Between their deficiencies and excesses.

والناس مثل البقل إسم جامع

والناس مثل البقل إسم جامع

معناه مختلف المذاق الرائد

معناه مختلف المذاق الرائد

And 'people,' like 'greens,' is a collective name;

For people are like onions, a collective name

What it denotes varies in taste for the forager.

With different tastes, though picked by one hand.

فالبقل واحده بمعنى جمعه

فالبقل واحده بمعنى جمعه

والجمع معناه باسم الواحد

والجمع معناه باسم الواحد

For the singular of 'greens' has the meaning of its plural,

The onion is one in meaning with its plurality,

And the plural's meaning is conveyed by the singular's name.

And its plurality means one in name.