رَأَيْتَ تَتَابُعَ الأَعْمَالِ أَجْدَى

رَأَيْتَ تَتَابُعَ الأَعْمَالِ أَجْدَى

عَلَى العُمَّالِ مِنْ فَضْلِ الصِّنَاعَهْ

عَلَى العُمَّالِ مِنْ فَضْلِ الصِّنَاعَهْ

You have seen that successive appointments are more profitable

You saw how persistence in work

for officials than excellence in their craft.

Serves the workers better than the excellence of craft

فَمَنْ يَكُ أكْثَرَ العُمَّالِ بَذْلاً

فَمَنْ يَكُ أكْثَرَ العُمَّالِ بَذْلاً

لِمَالٍ فَهْوَ أَوْجَهُهُمْ شَفَاعَهْ

لِمَالٍ فَهْوَ أَوْجَهُهُمْ شَفَاعَهْ

So whichever official is most generous

So whoever spends the most of his wealth

with money has the greatest influence among them in intercession.

Is the one whose intercession is most desirable

فَإِمَّا كُنْتَ فِي عَمَلٍ فَصَانِعْ

فَإِمَّا كُنْتَ فِي عَمَلٍ فَصَانِعْ

بِمَرْفِقِهِ وَإِنْ ثَلَمَ ارْتِفَاعَهْ

بِمَرْفِقِهِ وَإِنْ ثَلَمَ ارْتِفَاعَهْ

So if you hold an office, curry favor

Whether you are engaged in some work, be an artisan

with its proceeds, even if that cuts into its revenue.

With tolerance, and if it gets difficult, be more patient

وَوَفِّرْ حِصَّةَ الأَتْبَاعِ تَأْمَنْ

وَوَفِّرْ حِصَّةَ الأَتْبَاعِ تَأْمَنْ

بِذَاكَ مِنَ المَلاَمَةِ والشَّنَاعَهْ

بِذَاكَ مِنَ المَلاَمَةِ والشَّنَاعَهْ

And give the subordinates their full share; you will be safe

And provide the share of followers, so you may be safe

thereby from blame and disgrace.

From blame and defamation through that

وَخُذْ فِي جَمْعِ مَالِ الصُّلْحِ لاَ فِي

وَخُذْ فِي جَمْعِ مَالِ الصُّلْحِ لاَ فِي

إِقَامَةِ حُجَّةٍ لَكَ فِي جَمَاعَةْ

إِقَامَةِ حُجَّةٍ لَكَ فِي جَمَاعَةْ

And set about gathering settlement money, not

Take the collecting of conciliatory money and not

establishing a case in your favor before an assembly.

The establishing of an argument for you among the group

وَسَامِحْ ذَا المَعُونَةِ واعْتَقِدْهُ

وَسَامِحْ ذَا المَعُونَةِ واعْتَقِدْهُ

لِيُحْسِنَ عَنْكَ يَوْمَاً ما دِفَاعَهُ

لِيُحْسِنَ عَنْكَ يَوْمَاً ما دِفَاعَهُ

And be lenient with the police official, and make him your ally,

And forgive the one who helps you and believe him

so that someday he may defend you well.

To speak good of you one day in your defense

وَصَادِقْ ذَا القَضَاءِ وَلاَ تُثِرْهُ

وَصَادِقْ ذَا القَضَاءِ وَلاَ تُثِرْهُ

فِيَشْهَدَ بِالْخِيَانَةِ والإضَاعَهْ

فِيَشْهَدَ بِالْخِيَانَةِ والإضَاعَهْ

And befriend the judge, and do not provoke him,

And be honest with the judge, and do not provoke him

lest he testify to breach of trust and wastefulness.

So he doesn't testify to betrayal and loss

وَكُنْ فِي كُلِّ ذَاكَ عَلَى يَقِيْنٍ

وَكُنْ فِي كُلِّ ذَاكَ عَلَى يَقِيْنٍ

بِأَنَّ الصَّرْفَ يَحْدُثُ بَعْدَ سَاعَهْ

بِأَنَّ الصَّرْفَ يَحْدُثُ بَعْدَ سَاعَهْ

And throughout all this, be certain

And be certain in all that

that dismissal will come after an hour.

That fate makes changes after a while