1. الناسُ لولا سجايا النفسِ أشباهُ

    فإنّما كُلُّهُمْ تُرْبٌ وأمواهُ

    People, were it not for the soul's dispositions, would be alike,

    For all of them are merely dust and water.

  2. والبعضُ يُفرَقُ عن بعضٍ بجَوهرهِ

    كاللفظِ يُفرَقُ عن لفظٍ بمَعناهُ

    And one is distinguished from another by his essence,

    As one word is distinguished from another by its meaning.

  3. هذا الذي دارَ بينَ النَّاس من قِدَمٍ

    وهكذا قد أقامَ اللهُ دُنياهُ

    This is what has prevailed among people since ancient times,

    And thus has God established His world.

  4. لو كانتِ النَّاسُ خَلْقاً واحداً بَطَلتْ

    مَصالحُ العيشِ واندَكَّتْ زَواياهُ

    Were people all created alike, lost would be

    The benefits of life, and its corners would crumble.

  5. لولا السَّماحةُ ضاع الحُسنُ مُنكسِراً

    فلم يكن لمليحٍ في الوَرَى جاهُ

    Without generosity, beauty would be lost, broken,

    And no handsome person would have standing among humankind.

  6. للهِ في الخَلْقِ سِرٌّ ليسَ نُدرِكُهُ

    وكيفَ يُدرِكُ عبدٌ سِرَّ مَوْلاهُ

    God has a secret in creation that we do not comprehend;

    And how could a servant comprehend his Master's secret?

  7. لكلِّ أمرٍ رِجالٌ يَصْلُحُونَ لهُ

    وكلُّ مَرْءٍ لهُ أمرٌ تَوَلَّاهُ

    For every task there are men suited to it,

    And every man has a task he has undertaken.

  8. نالَ الرِئاسةَ مَولانا الرئيسُ ولو

    رأى لها غيرَهُ المُعطِي لأعطاهُ

    Our lord the chief attained leadership; and had

    The Giver deemed another fit for it, He would have granted it to him.

  9. سيفٌ إذا ما فَرَى عُنقاً سِواهُ بهِ

    فَرَتْ بهِ الصَخرَ عِندَ الضَّربِ يُمناهُ

    A sword—when another severs a neck with it,

    His right hand cleaves rock with it when he strikes.

  10. يَقضِي الحوائجَ إفراداً وتَثْنيةً

    ولا يُثَنِّي المُنادي حينَ ناداهُ

    He fulfills needs, singly and in pairs,

    Nor need a caller repeat his call to him.

  11. وتنقُضُ البُؤُس بعدَ العَقْدِ راحتُهُ

    وتنظُرُ السِّرَّ قبلَ الجَهرْ عيناهُ

    And his palm unravels misery after it is knotted,

    And his eyes see the secret before its disclosure.

  12. ما زالَ يجلو ظَلامَ الظُّلمِ مُجتهِداً

    كالليلِ حينَ ضِياءُ الصُّبحِ يَلْقاهُ

    He ceaselessly strives to dispel the darkness of injustice,

    Like night when the light of dawn meets it.

  13. وينصُرُ العدلَ حتماً وَهْوَ يَحْسَبُهُ

    دَيناً لدُنياهُ أو دِيناً لأُخراهُ

    And he unfailingly champions justice, deeming it

    A debt to his earthly life, or a religious duty for his hereafter.

  14. يُمسِي الأمانُ ويُضِحي تحتَ رايتِهِ

    كأنَّما في حِماها كانَ مَنْشاهُ

    Safety abides, evening and morning, beneath his banner—

    As though its birthplace lay within that shelter—

  15. مرفوعةٌ بعَمُودٍ تحتَ أجنِحةٍ

    منَ المَلائكِ رَفَّتْ فوقَ أعلاهُ

    Raised on a pole beneath wings

    Of angels, fluttering above its top.

  16. جِئنا نُهنِّيهِ بالفَوْز الجليلِ ومَنْ

    أصابَ في الرَّأيِ هَنَّانا وهنَّاهُ

    We came to congratulate him on his glorious triumph; and whoever

    Judged rightly congratulated both us and him.

  17. فلا يزالُ قريرَ العينِ مُبتهِجاً

    يَرعَى العِبادَ وعينُ اللهِ تَرْعاهُ

    So may he ever remain joyful, his eyes at peace,

    Watching over the people, while God's eye watches over him.