لِبَني البَرمَكِيِّ قَصرٌ مُنيفُ

لِبَني البَرمَكِيِّ قَصرٌ مُنيفُ

وَجَمالٌ وَليسَ فيهِم حَنيفُ

وَجَمالٌ وَليسَ فيهِم حَنيفُ

The sons of al-Barmaki have a lofty palace,

The Barmakis have a splendid palace,

The sons of Barmak possess a palace, lofty and high,

And beauty, yet none among them is a true monotheist.

And beauty, but no true faith among them.

Adorned with beauty, yet no true believer dwells nearby.

دارُهُم مَسجِدٌ يُؤَذَّنُ فيها

دارُهُم مَسجِدٌ يُؤَذَّنُ فيها

لِاِتِّقاءٍ وَلَيسَ فيها كَنيفُ

لِاِتِّقاءٍ وَلَيسَ فيها كَنيفُ

Their house is a mosque where the call to prayer is given

Their abode is a mosque where the call to prayer is made,

Their home serves as a mosque where the call to prayer is heard,

As a precaution, and there is no privy in it.

For show, not out of piety sincere.

For mere disguise, containing no true sheltering word.

فَإِذا أَذَّنوا لِوَقتِ صَلاةٍ

فَإِذا أَذَّنوا لِوَقتِ صَلاةٍ

كَرَّروا لا إِلَهَ إِلّا الرَغيفُ

كَرَّروا لا إِلَهَ إِلّا الرَغيفُ

So when they give the call at prayer time,

Whenever they make the call to prayer at the proper time,

And when they raise the summons for the prayer time to spread,

They repeat: "There is no god but the loaf of bread."

What they have in mind is “No god but bread!”

They chant again: "There is no god but the Loaf of Bread."