الملكُ في طيّ الدَفاتِرْ

الملكُ في طيّ الدَفاتِرْ

فَتخلّ عَن قَود العَساكِرْ

فَتخلّ عَن قَود العَساكِرْ

Kingship lies in the folds of books;

The king in folding the books

so give up leading armies.

So leave the leadership of the armies

طُف بِالسَرير مسلِّماً

طُف بِالسَرير مسلِّماً

واِرجع لِتَوديعِ المَنابِرْ

واِرجع لِتَوديعِ المَنابِرْ

Circle the throne in salutation,

Stroll to the bed surrendered

and return to bid the pulpits farewell.

And return to bid the pulpits farewell

واِزحَفْ إِلى جَيش المَعا

واِزحَفْ إِلى جَيش المَعا

رِف تَقهَر الحِبرَ المُقامِرْ

رِف تَقهَر الحِبرَ المُقامِرْ

And march toward the army of knowl-

And crawl to the army of Ma'a

edge; you will vanquish the gambling scholar.

High you defeat the gambling ink

واِطعَن بِأَطراف اليَرا

واِطعَن بِأَطراف اليَرا

ع نُصرتَ في ثَغر المَحابِرْ

ع نُصرتَ في ثَغر المَحابِرْ

And thrust with the tips of reed-

And stab with the edges of spears

pens—may you be granted victory—at the inkpots’ frontier.

Victory in the battlefields

واِضرب بِسكين الدَوا

واِضرب بِسكين الدَوا

ة مَكانَ ماضي الحَدّ باتِرْ

ة مَكانَ ماضي الحَدّ باتِرْ

And strike with the knife of the ink-

And strike with the knife of the state

well, instead of a keen-edged, cleaving sword.

In place of the past mighty one

أَوَ لَستَ رُسطاليس إِن

أَوَ لَستَ رُسطاليس إِن

ذُكِرَ الفَلاسِفَةُ الأَكابِرْ

ذُكِرَ الفَلاسِفَةُ الأَكابِرْ

And are you not Aristotle when

Or aren't you Aristotle when

the great philosophers are named?

The great philosophers are mentioned

وَكَذَلِكَ إِن ذُكر الخَلي

وَكَذَلِكَ إِن ذُكر الخَلي

لُ فَأَنتَ نَحويّ وَشاعِرْ

لُ فَأَنتَ نَحويّ وَشاعِرْ

And likewise, if one names al-Kha-

And so if the Khalil is mentioned

lil, you are a grammarian and a poet.

You are a grammarian and a poet

وَأَبو حَنيفَةَ ساقِطٌ

وَأَبو حَنيفَةَ ساقِطٌ

في الرأي حينَ تَكونُ حاضِرْ

في الرأي حينَ تَكونُ حاضِرْ

And Abu Hanifa is of no account

And Abu Hanifa has fallen

in reasoning when you are present.

In opinion when you are present

من هُرمُسُ من سيبَوي

من هُرمُسُ من سيبَوي

هِ من ابن فورَك إِن تُناظِرْ

هِ من ابن فورَك إِن تُناظِرْ

Who is Hermes? Who is Siba-

Who is Hermes, who is Sibawayh

wayh? Who is Ibn Furak, if you debate?

Who is Ibn Furak if you debate

هَذي المَكارِمُ قَد حَوَي

هَذي المَكارِمُ قَد حَوَي

ت فَكُن لِمَن حاباك شاكِرْ

ت فَكُن لِمَن حاباك شاكِرْ

These noble qualities you have ac-

These virtues have contained

quired; so be grateful to whoever favored you.

So be grateful to those who loved you

واِقعُد فَإِنَّك طاعِمٌ

واِقعُد فَإِنَّك طاعِمٌ

كاسٍ وَقُل هَل مِن مُفاخِرْ

كاسٍ وَقُل هَل مِن مُفاخِرْ

And sit down, for you are fed,

And sit for you are a host

clothed; and say, ‘Is there anyone to rival me?’

Of a cup and say is there any boasting

فَحُجبتَ وَجهَ رِضايَ عَن

فَحُجبتَ وَجهَ رِضايَ عَن

كَ وَكُنتَ قَد تَلقاهُ سافِرْ

كَ وَكُنتَ قَد تَلقاهُ سافِرْ

So you were denied my favor’s face, veiled from

So you were veiled from my pleasure

you, though you had once seen it unveiled.

And you had met it traveling

أَوَ لَستَ تَذكُرُ وَقتَ لَو

أَوَ لَستَ تَذكُرُ وَقتَ لَو

رقة وَقَلبُك ثَمَّ طائِرْ

رقة وَقَلبُك ثَمَّ طائِرْ

And do you not remember the time at Lor-

Or don't you remember the time of softness

ca, when your heart was fluttering there,

And your heart then was flying

لا يَستَقِرُّ مَكانَهُ

لا يَستَقِرُّ مَكانَهُ

وَأَبوكَ كالضِرغام خادِرْ

وَأَبوكَ كالضِرغام خادِرْ

unable to settle in its place,

Not settling in its place

while your father lay like a lion in its lair?

And your father like the groggy hyena

هَلّا اِقتَدَيتَ بِفِعلِهِ

هَلّا اِقتَدَيتَ بِفِعلِهِ

وَأَطَعتَه إِذ ذاكَ آمِرْ

وَأَطَعتَه إِذ ذاكَ آمِرْ

Why did you not follow his example

Why didn't you emulate his deed

and obey him when he was in command?

And obey him then as he commanded

قَد كانَ أَبصَرَ بِالعَوا

قَد كانَ أَبصَرَ بِالعَوا

قِبِ وَالمَوارِد وَالمَصادِرْ

قِبِ وَالمَوارِد وَالمَصادِرْ

He was indeed more discerning of conse-

He was more insightful of consequences

quences, and of the ways in and ways out.

And resources and sources