إذا علا رَذلٌ ولم يُدْلِ في ال

إذا علا رَذلٌ ولم يُدْلِ في ال

مِجدِ ببرهانٍ ولا حُجّهْ

مِجدِ ببرهانٍ ولا حُجّهْ

If a base man rises, yet fails to substantiate

If an ignoble man rises high and does not strengthen his ascent with virtues and solid proofs,

His glory with proof or argument,

Serve him only so long as wealth streams from him or blindness still ties his eyes.

فاخْدِمْه ما دَرَّ لهُ المالُ أو

فاخْدِمْه ما دَرَّ لهُ المالُ أو

نشّتْ على مِقلاتِهِ العجّهْ

نشّتْ على مِقلاتِهِ العجّهْ

Then serve him while wealth flows his way, or

Take patience to endure his vileness as the ship to cross his sea surge.

The omelet sizzles in his frying pan.

See how the world fashions from the spear that overthrows a kingdom its kingdom-propping crutch!

واتّخذا الصبرَ على لؤمِهِ

واتّخذا الصبرَ على لؤمِهِ

سفينةً إن طمت اللُّجّه

سفينةً إن طمت اللُّجّه

And make patience with his baseness

A ship, if the deep waters surge.

وصانع الدهرَ فكم دولةٍ

وصانع الدهرَ فكم دولةٍ

صاغَتْ من السلحَةِ أُترُجّهْ

صاغَتْ من السلحَةِ أُترُجّهْ

And humor fate: how many a turn of fortune

Has fashioned a citron out of dung!