تَبتْ يَدا كَاتِبٍ لَولاهُ ما خَرِبَتْ

تَبتْ يَدا كَاتِبٍ لَولاهُ ما خَرِبَتْ

مَعمُورةٌ أُسسَتْ بالعِلمِ والأَدبِ

مَعمُورةٌ أُسسَتْ بالعِلمِ والأَدبِ

May a scribe’s two hands perish! But for him, ruin would not have befallen

May the hands of the scribe who wrote it wither, without him

A flourishing abode founded on knowledge and letters.

An edifice founded on knowledge and propriety would not have fallen into ruin.

أردَا مِنَ الخَمرِ في الإفسادِ نسخَتَهُ

أردَا مِنَ الخَمرِ في الإفسادِ نسخَتَهُ

تَستَظهِرُ العَيبَ طائراً مِنَ العنَبِ

تَستَظهِرُ العَيبَ طائراً مِنَ العنَبِ

His copy is worse than wine in causing corruption;

He prescribed wine to spread corruption, so his prescription

It brings to light the flaw, flying out of the grapes.

Seeks pretexts, though wine's evils fly from grapes.