شِرْذِمَةٌ مَأْبُونَهْ

شِرْذِمَةٌ مَأْبُونَهْ

فِي جَهْلِهَا مَسْجُونَهْ

فِي جَهْلِهَا مَسْجُونَهْ

A little band accused of sodomy,

A wayward fool imprisoned in her ignorance

A vile and depraved gang,

Imprisoned in its ignorance,

Finds in her Lord no guidance or support

Imprisoned in its own ignorance,

لَمْ تَكْتَسِبْ مِنْ رَبِّنَا

لَمْ تَكْتَسِبْ مِنْ رَبِّنَا

رُشْداً وَلاَ مَعُونَهْ

رُشْداً وَلاَ مَعُونَهْ

It has not gained from our Lord

Her wretched self rebels though steeped in vice

Having gained nothing from our Lord

Right guidance or aid.

And sees her morals utterly cut off

Of right guidance or assistance;

تَبَرَّأَتْ وَقْدْ غَثَتْ

تَبَرَّأَتْ وَقْدْ غَثَتْ

أَنْفُسُهَا الْمَلْعُو نَهْ

أَنْفُسُهَا الْمَلْعُو نَهْ

It dissociated itself—while sickened were

Humiliation wraps her youth and strength

They turned away, having grown foul

Its accursed souls,

And arrogance still sings her wanton tunes

In their accursed souls,

وَقَدْ رَأَتْ عَرُوضَهَا

وَقَدْ رَأَتْ عَرُوضَهَا

مَقْطُوعَةً مَخْبُونَهْ

مَقْطُوعَةً مَخْبُونَهْ

And it had seen its metrical foot

Of people filled with guile and trickery

And having seen their poetic meters

Truncated and clipped,

Whose prosperity was but illusion

Cut short and fundamentally flawed,

وَالذُّلُّ قَدْ حَفَّ بِهَا

وَالذُّلُّ قَدْ حَفَّ بِهَا

أَبْكَارَهُ وَعُونَهْ

أَبْكَارَهُ وَعُونَهْ

And humiliation had surrounded it

When they donned power, dignity, renown

With humiliation enveloping

With its virgins and its matrons,

And claimed a land their valor had redeemed

Its young virgins and older matrons;

وَالْعُجْبُ يَتْلُو نَحْوَهَا

وَالْعُجْبُ يَتْلُو نَحْوَهَا

مِنَ الْغَبَا فُنونَهْ

مِنَ الْغَبَا فُنونَهْ

And conceit recited toward it

Made smooth its ways and soothed its discontents

While arrogance recites to them

Its arts of foolishness—

Should drought of kindness make it dry, their grace

Its various arts of stupidity.

مِنْ مَعْشَرٍ ذِي غُرَرٍ

مِنْ مَعْشَرٍ ذِي غُرَرٍ

زَاهِرَةٍ مَيْمُونَهْ

زَاهِرَةٍ مَيْمُونَهْ

From a company with marks of honor,

Would render it fertile once again

Severed from an illustrious company,

Radiant and auspicious,

Virtue is not beyond them, nor exceed their grasp

Radiant and blessed,

مِنْ كُلَّ مَنْ هِمَّتُهُ

مِنْ كُلَّ مَنْ هِمَّتُهُ

مِنَ الْخَنَى مَصُونَهْ

مِنَ الْخَنَى مَصُونَهْ

From everyone whose aspiration

May God preserve them for the sake

Composed of those whose ambition

Is protected from obscenity.

Of faith they keep alive and tend

Is protected from obscenity;

إذْ سُرْبِلُوا بِالْعِزِّ وَال

إذْ سُرْبِلُوا بِالْعِزِّ وَال

وَقَارِ وَاللُّدُونَهْ

وَقَارِ وَاللُّدُونَهْ

For they were clothed in honor and

And knowledge whose keen judgment guides their steps

For they were cloaked in glory and

Dignity and gentleness,

And praise they utter and remembrance chant

In dignity and gentleness,

وَنُسِبُوا لِبَلَدٍ

وَنُسِبُوا لِبَلَدٍ

هُمْ أَصْلَحُوا شُؤُونَهْ

هُمْ أَصْلَحُوا شُؤُونَهْ

And they belonged to a land

Distinction is their mantle, not their quest

And they are ascribed to a land

Whose affairs they set right,

They seek no more than what is justly theirs

Whose affairs they have reformed,

وَزَيَّنُوا سُهُولَهُ

وَزَيَّنُوا سُهُولَهُ

وَسَهَّلُوا حُزُونَهْ

وَسَهَّلُوا حُزُونَهْ

And they beautified its plains,

God grant them life to practice ideals true

Adorning its sweeping plains,

And made its rough ground smooth.

And wisdom's rule that they exemplify

And smoothing its rugged terrains;

وَهُمْ إِذَا أَجْدَبَ بِالْ

وَهُمْ إِذَا أَجْدَبَ بِالْ

إِحْسَانِ يُخْصِبُونَهْ

إِحْسَانِ يُخْصِبُونَهْ

And they, whenever it grows barren, through

And grace to chant His praise and thanks renew

And when it suffers drought, with

Beneficence make it fertile.

Benevolence they make it fertile;

فَالْفَضْلُ لاَ يَعْدُوهُمُ

فَالْفَضْلُ لاَ يَعْدُوهُمُ

وَهُمُ لاَ يَعْدُونَهْ

وَهُمُ لاَ يَعْدُونَهْ

So excellence does not go beyond them,

Thus, merit does not bypass them,

And they do not go beyond it.

Nor do they bypass it.

أَبْقَاهُمُ اللهُ لِمَا

أَبْقَاهُمُ اللهُ لِمَا

مِنْ دِينِهِ يَحْيُونَهْ

مِنْ دِينِهِ يَحْيُونَهْ

May God preserve them for what

May God preserve them for what

They keep alive of His religion,

They revive of His religion,

وَلِلَّذِي مِنْ عِلْمِهِ

وَلِلَّذِي مِنْ عِلْمِهِ

وَحُكْمِهِ يَدْرُونَهْ

وَحُكْمِهِ يَدْرُونَهْ

And for what of His knowledge

And for what of His knowledge

And His judgment they understand,

And His wisdom they comprehend,

وَلِلَّذِي مِنْ ذِكْرِهِ

وَلِلَّذِي مِنْ ذِكْرِهِ

وَشُكْرِهِ يَتْلُونَهْ

وَشُكْرِهِ يَتْلُونَهْ

And for what, in remembrance of Him

And for what of His remembrance

And thanksgiving to Him, they recite.

And gratitude they recite.