Reference: “Qaṣīdah Innamal-Ummamu al-Akhlāqu”
وَإِنَّــمَـا الأُمَـمُ الأَخْـلَاقُ مَـا بَـقِـيَـتْ … فَـإِنْ هُـمُ ذَهَـبَـتْ أَخْـلَاقُـهُـمْ ذَهَـبُـوا
Nations are their morals, as long as they remain…
And if their morals do cease, they perish;
وَإِذَا أُصِـيـبَ الـقَـوْمُ فِـي أَخْـلَاقِـهِـمْ … فَـأَقِـمْ عَـلَـيْـهِـمْ مَـأْتَـمًا وَعَـوِيـلًا
If a people are afflicted in their morals…
Then hold for them a mourning, and wail [over them];
صَـلَاحُ أَمْـرِكَ لِـلأَخْـلَاقِ مَـرْجِـعُـهُ … فَـقَـوِّمِ الـنَّـفْـسَ بِـالْأَخْـلَاقِ تَـسْـتَـقِـمِ
The goodness of your life, returns to your morals,
So shape yourself with morals, and you shall remain upright;
مَـا حُـسْـنٌ فِـي وَجْـهِ الـفَـتَى شَـرَفٌ لَـهُ … إِذَا لَـمْ يَـكُـنْ فِـي فِـعْـلِـهِ وَالخَـلَائِـقِ
The beauty in a young man’s face is no honour for him…
If there is no virtue in his actions and morals;
لَيْسَ الجَمَالُ بِأَثْوَابٍ تُزَيِّنُنَا … إِنَّ الجَمَالَ جَمَالُ العِلْمِ وَالأَدَبِ
Beauty is not in garments, adorning us,
True beauty is the beauty of knowledge and manners.
~ Aḥmad Shawqī [d: 1351h]
