هَدى الزهّادَ في الدُنيا

هَدى الزهّادَ في الدُنيا

لَهُم عَن عَيبِها فَحصا

لَهُم عَن عَيبِها فَحصا

The ascetics were guided in this world

The ascetics guided in this world

He guided the ascetics in this world,

by their scrutiny of its flaws.

Knew of its defects fully

To scrutinize its inherent flaws.

فَقالوا طيبها خُبثٌ

فَقالوا طيبها خُبثٌ

وَأَمّا دُرُّها فَحصا

وَأَمّا دُرُّها فَحصا

So they said: its sweetness is foulness,

So they said its pleasure is vice

They said: "Its pleasures are but filth,

and as for its pearls, they are pebbles.

And its pearls are just pebbles

And as for its pearls, they are mere gravel."

خَلَوا مِنها فَلا ظَمَأ

خَلَوا مِنها فَلا ظَمَأ

شَكَوا فيها وَلا خَمصا

شَكَوا فيها وَلا خَمصا

They withdrew from it; no thirst

They shunned it, so no thirst remained

They withdrew from it, so neither thirst

did they complain of in it, nor hunger.

Nor did they complain or worry in it

Did they complain of therein, nor hunger.

أَقلّ كُروبها وَرَمٌ

أَقلّ كُروبها وَرَمٌ

أَصابَ اِبني فَما خَمصا

أَصابَ اِبني فَما خَمصا

The least of its woes is a swelling

The least of its sorrows is but a spear

The least of its tribulations is a swelling

that struck my son and did not subside.

That struck my son, whom I didn't bury

That afflicted my son and did not subside.