أَيا والِيَ المِصرِ لا تَظلِمَنَّ

أَيا والِيَ المِصرِ لا تَظلِمَنَّ

فَكَم جاءَ مِثلُكَ ثُمَّ اِنصَرَف

فَكَم جاءَ مِثلُكَ ثُمَّ اِنصَرَف

O governor of the city, do not oppress.

O governor of Egypt, do not oppress

For many like you have come, then departed.

For many like you have come and gone

وَقَد أَبرَ النَخلَ مُلّاكُهُ

وَقَد أَبرَ النَخلَ مُلّاكُهُ

وَقَيَّضَ غَيرُهُمُ فَاِختَرَف

وَقَيَّضَ غَيرُهُمُ فَاِختَرَف

And the date palms' owners had pollinated them,

The date palms have outlived their owners

And someone else was appointed and gathered the dates.

Others were appointed in their stead and departed

إِنِ القَولُ حَرَّفَهُ كاذِبٌ

إِنِ القَولُ حَرَّفَهُ كاذِبٌ

فَإِنَّ القَضاءَ بِهِ ما اِنحَرَف

فَإِنَّ القَضاءَ بِهِ ما اِنحَرَف

If a liar distorts a statement,

Words are distorted by liars

Then fate does not swerve because of it.

But judgments remain straight

فَلا تُرسِلَنَّ حِبالَ الرَجا

فَلا تُرسِلَنَّ حِبالَ الرَجا

وَأَمّسِك بِكَفِّكَ مِنها طَرَف

وَأَمّسِك بِكَفِّكَ مِنها طَرَف

So do not let the ropes of hope run loose,

So do not send out ropes of hope

And hold an end of them in your palm.

And grasp their ends in your hand

تَواضَع إِذا ما رُزِقتَ العَلاءَ

تَواضَع إِذا ما رُزِقتَ العَلاءَ

فَذَلِكَ مِمّا يَزيدُ الشَرَف

فَذَلِكَ مِمّا يَزيدُ الشَرَف

Be humble whenever you are granted eminence,

Be humble if fortune exalts you

For that is among the things that increase honor.

For that increases honor

وَدارُكَ أَحسِن إِلى جارِها

وَدارُكَ أَحسِن إِلى جارِها

وَلا تَجعَلَنَّ لَها مُشتَرَف

وَلا تَجعَلَنَّ لَها مُشتَرَف

And as for your house, be kind to its neighbor,

Treat your neighbor well in your abode

And do not give it an elevated lookout.

And do not make it unbearable for him

وَإِن أَلبَسَ اللَهُ ثَوبَ الشِفاءِ

وَإِن أَلبَسَ اللَهُ ثَوبَ الشِفاءِ

فَلا تُؤثِرَنَّ عَلَيهِ التَرَف

فَلا تُؤثِرَنَّ عَلَيهِ التَرَف

And if God clothes you in the garment of healing,

If God clothes you in the garb of wellness

Then do not prefer luxury to it.

Do not prefer luxury over it

تَغيضُ المِياهُ وَقَد طالَما

تَغيضُ المِياهُ وَقَد طالَما

تَيَمَّمِها وارِدٌ فَاِغتَرَف

تَيَمَّمِها وارِدٌ فَاِغتَرَف

The waters dwindle, though many a time

Waters ebb though long frequented

A water-seeker has sought them out and scooped up water.

By one who comes to draw from them

وَمَن أَمَّنَتهُ خُطوبُ المَنونِ

وَمَن أَمَّنَتهُ خُطوبُ المَنونِ

تَخَوَّفَ مِن هَرَمٍ أَو خَرَف

تَخَوَّفَ مِن هَرَمٍ أَو خَرَف

And whoever is spared by the calamities of death

He whom the strokes of death beset

Grows fearful of old age or senility.

Fears senility or loss of wit

يُقارِفُ مُستَكبَراتِ الذُنوبِ

يُقارِفُ مُستَكبَراتِ الذُنوبِ

وَيَغفُلُ عَن ذَنبِهِ المُقتَرَف

وَيَغفُلُ عَن ذَنبِهِ المُقتَرَف

He commits heinous sins,

He commits major sins

And is heedless of the sin he has committed.

And is heedless of his accumulated sins

وَلي مَنزِلٌ في الثَرى ما يُزارُ

وَلي مَنزِلٌ في الثَرى ما يُزارُ

وَلَو رامَهُ زائِرٌ ما عَرَف

وَلَو رامَهُ زائِرٌ ما عَرَف

And I have a dwelling in the earth that no one visits;

I have a place in the earth not to be visited

And even if a visitor sought it, he would not recognize it.

Though sought by a visitor, it would not be found

وَلَقَد لُمتُ أَن جَمَدَت أَدمُعي

وَلَقَد لُمتُ أَن جَمَدَت أَدمُعي

وَما لُمتُ جَفنِيَ لَمّا ذَرَف

وَما لُمتُ جَفنِيَ لَمّا ذَرَف

And indeed I reproached my tears for freezing,

My tears flowed until they froze

But I did not reproach my eyelid when it shed tears.

My eyelids did not freeze until they flowed