ويرفع المال أقواماً وإن خملوا

ويرفع المال أقواماً وإن خملوا

ويرزأ الفقر أقواماً وإن كرموا

ويرزأ الفقر أقواماً وإن كرموا

And wealth raises some people, even if they are obscure.

Wealth raises some men though they be vile,

And poverty brings some people low, even if they are noble.

And poverty brings others low though they be noble.

وقد رأيت رجالا إذ رأيتهم

وقد رأيت رجالا إذ رأيتهم

خلوا مواريثهم للناس وآخترموا

خلوا مواريثهم للناس وآخترموا

And I have seen men who, when I saw them,

I have seen a man whom when I saw him,

left their estates to others and were snatched away by death.

He left his inheritance for people and took the frivolous.

لم يحمدوا بالذي خلوا وراءهم

لم يحمدوا بالذي خلوا وراءهم

ولم يحوزوا به إلا الذي اجترموا

ولم يحوزوا به إلا الذي اجترموا

They were not praised for what they left behind,

They were not praised for what they left behind,

And gained through it nothing but the sins they committed.

And they gained by it only what they committed of sins.

عمار إن أحق الناس كلهم

عمار إن أحق الناس كلهم

بأن نزور إمام الأمة الحكم

بأن نزور إمام الأمة الحكم

Ammar, indeed, among all people, the one most deserving

Umar, the most right of all people

of our visit is al-Hakam, the community’s leader,

To visit the leader of the nation, the Wise,

الواهب الألف والمخشي صولته

الواهب الألف والمخشي صولته

والمحكم العقد لما خانت الأمم

والمحكم العقد لما خانت الأمم

Who gives a thousand, and whose onslaught is feared,

The giver of thousands and the fearer of his might,

And who made the covenant firm when nations proved faithless,

The decisive in authority when nations betrayed,

والقائد الخيل نحو الثغر معلمة

والقائد الخيل نحو الثغر معلمة

شعثاً تصلصل في أفواهها اللجم

شعثاً تصلصل في أفواهها اللجم

And who leads the horses toward the frontier, marked for battle,

The leader of horses towards the march adorned,

Shaggy, with bits jingling in their mouths.

Dishevelled, with froth dripping from their bridles.