المجدُ بينَ موروثٍ ومكتسبِ

المجدُ بينَ موروثٍ ومكتسبِ

والقطرُ في الأرضِ لا كالقطر في السحُبِ

والقطرُ في الأرضِ لا كالقطر في السحُبِ

Glory lies between what is inherited and what is earned.

Glory is inherited and earned

And rain on earth is not like rain in the clouds.

And raindrops on the ground are not like raindrops in the clouds

وما الفتى من رأى أباءَه نجباً

وما الفتى من رأى أباءَه نجباً

ولم يكن هو إنْ عدوهُ في النُّجبِ

ولم يكن هو إنْ عدوهُ في النُّجبِ

A true youth is not one who finds his forefathers noble,

A young man is not noble just because he had noble fathers

Yet is not himself among the noble when they reckon him.

Unless he himself is noble when his enemy is in dire straits

وإن أولى الورى بالمجدِ كلُّ فتىً

وإن أولى الورى بالمجدِ كلُّ فتىً

من نفسه ومِنَ الأمجادِ في نسبِ

من نفسه ومِنَ الأمجادِ في نسبِ

And indeed, most worthy of glory among mankind is every youth

The one most deserving of glory is every young man

Whose lineage comes from himself and from the illustrious.

Who earns it himself and through his own glorious lineage

فالشهبُ كثرٌ إذا أبصرتهنَّ ولا

فالشهبُ كثرٌ إذا أبصرتهنَّ ولا

يعددُ الناسُ غيرَ السبعةِ الشُهُبِ

يعددُ الناسُ غيرَ السبعةِ الشُهُبِ

For the shining stars are many when you behold them, yet

There are many shooting stars when you see them

People count only the seven shining stars.

But people only count the seven stars of Ursa Major

وما رقى الملكُ المأمونُ يومَ سما

وما رقى الملكُ المأمونُ يومَ سما

للمجدِ في درجاتِ العزِّ والحَسَبِ

للمجدِ في درجاتِ العزِّ والحَسَبِ

Nor did King al-Ma'mun ascend, when he rose

Neither did the Caliph al-Ma'mun ascend on the day he went up

To glory through the ranks of honor and noble standing,

To the heights of glory and nobility

ولا استجابت له الأملاكُ يومَ دعا

ولا استجابت له الأملاكُ يومَ دعا

بفضلِ أم غذته الفضلَ أو بِأبِ

بفضلِ أم غذته الفضلَ أو بِأبِ

Nor did kings answer him on the day he called,

Nor did the angels respond to him when he called

Through the merit of a mother who nourished him with virtue, or of a father.

Through the grace of his mother or father

لكن رأى المجدَ مطلوباً فهبَّ له

لكن رأى المجدَ مطلوباً فهبَّ له

ومن يكُن عارفاً بالقَصدِ لم يَخِبِ

ومن يكُن عارفاً بالقَصدِ لم يَخِبِ

But he saw glory as something to seek, and rose to pursue it;

Rather, he saw that glory was sought, so he strove for it

And whoever knows his goal will not fail.

And whoever knows the right way will not go astray

وعزَّز العلمَ فاعتزَّ الأنامُ بهِ

وعزَّز العلمَ فاعتزَّ الأنامُ بهِ

وما إلى العزِّ غيرَ العلمِ من سَبَبِ

وما إلى العزِّ غيرَ العلمِ من سَبَبِ

And he strengthened learning, so mankind gained honor through it;

He strengthened knowledge, so people were honored through it

And there is no means to honor other than learning.

For there is no path to honor but through knowledge

ودولةُ السيفِ لا تقوى دعامَتُها

ودولةُ السيفِ لا تقوى دعامَتُها

ما لم تَكُنْ حالفَتْها دولةُ الكُتبِ

ما لم تَكُنْ حالفَتْها دولةُ الكُتبِ

And the dominion of the sword has no firm foundation

The state of the sword, its pillars cannot be strengthened

Unless the dominion of books has allied itself with it.

Unless joined by the state of books

ومن يجدَّ يجد والنفسُ إن تعبتْ

ومن يجدَّ يجد والنفسُ إن تعبتْ

فربما راحةٌ جاءت من التعبِ

فربما راحةٌ جاءت من التعبِ

And whoever strives will find; and if the soul grows weary,

Whoever makes an effort succeeds, and the self, if it grows weary

For rest may come from toil.

Perhaps rest will come from the fatigue

ويلٌ لمن عاش في لهوٍ وفي لعبٍ

ويلٌ لمن عاش في لهوٍ وفي لعبٍ

فميتةُ المجدِ بينَ اللهوِ واللعبِ

فميتةُ المجدِ بينَ اللهوِ واللعبِ

Woe to whoever lives in diversion and play,

Woe to him who lives in vain play and nonsense

For glory's death lies amid diversion and play.

For the death of glory is between play and nonsense

ألم ترَ الشمس في الميزانِ هابطةً

ألم ترَ الشمس في الميزانِ هابطةً

لما غدا برجُ نجمِ اللهوِ والطربِ

لما غدا برجُ نجمِ اللهوِ والطربِ

Have you not seen the sun descending in Libra,

Did you not see the sun descending in Libra

Since it became the house of the star of diversion and delight?

When the mansion of the star of play and delight rose?