عَجبتI marveled لامةat a nation رَضيتaccepted فَساداًcorruption
عَجبت لامة رَضيت فَساداً
وَفيهاand in it مِنone who جَفاspurned شَرَفاًhonor فَساداso held sway
وَفيها مِن جَفا شَرَفاً فَسادا
I marveled at a nation that accepted corruption,
Where one who spurned honor came to hold sway.
وَفيهاand in it لاnot أَرىI see شَهماًa gallant man وَحُراًand a free man
وَفيها لا أَرى شَهماً وَحُراً
لِيَومfor a day كَريهةof battle قَدحstruck الزِناداthe fire-steels
لِيَوم كَريهة قَدح الزِنادا
And in it I see no gallant, free man
Who struck the fire-steels for a day of battle.
وَلَكنيbut I أَرىsee فيهاin it أُناساًpeople
وَلَكني أَرى فيها أُناساً
يَرونthey regard البُخلmiserliness عِندَهُمin their view اِقتِصاداthrift
يَرون البُخل عِندَهُم اِقتِصادا
But I see within it people
Who regard their miserliness as thrift.
وَهَذاand this الاقتصادthrift بِغَيرwithout أَمرan undertaking
وَهَذا الاقتصاد بِغَير أَمر
شَريفhonorable يَبلغونthey achieve بِهِthrough it المُراداthe desired aim
شَريف يَبلغون بِهِ المُرادا
And this thrift is for no undertaking
Of honor; through it they achieve their aim.
وَأَماand as for فيin الخَناlewdness فَهموthen they are كِرامgenerous
وَأَما في الخَنا فَهمو كِرام
وَغَيهموand their waywardness يَظنوهthey consider it رَشاداright guidance
وَغَيهمو يَظنوه رَشادا
But as for lewdness, they are generous,
And they take their waywardness for right guidance.
يَرونthey regard النَقصdeficiency عِندهموin their view كَمالاperfection
يَرون النَقص عِندهمو كَمالا
كَماjust as لهموfor them يَرونthey regard الفَحشobscenity زاداsustenance
كَما لهمو يَرون الفَحش زادا
They see their shortcomings as perfection,
Just as they see obscenity as their sustenance.
إِذاif طَلَبواthey sought لِفعلto do الخَيرgood يَوماًone day
إِذا طَلَبوا لِفعل الخَير يَوماً
تَراهُمyou see them لِلأَسىout of sorrow لَبِسواthey donned الحِداداmourning clothes
تَراهُم لِلأَسى لَبِسوا الحِدادا
If one day they seek to do good,
You see them clad in mourning out of sorrow.
وَكانَand was المَوتdeath خَيراًbetter فيin طلابseeking
وَكانَ المَوت خَيراً في طلاب
لِخَيرfor good قلwas little مقداراًin measure وَزاداand increased
لِخَير قل مقداراً وَزادا
And death was preferable in the pursuit
Of good, whether little or much in measure.
وَإِنَّand indeed طِباعَهُمtheir natures لِطِباعindeed natures سُوءevil
وَإِنَّ طِباعَهُم لِطِباع سُوء
وَلاand not أَدَبrefinement الأَديبthe cultured man لَهُمfor them أَفاداbenefited
وَلا أَدَب الأَديب لَهُم أَفادا
And their natures are indeed natures of evil,
Nor has the cultured man's refinement benefited them.
وَإِنand indeed غَنيهمtheir wealthy man أَبَداًalways غبىfoolish
وَإِن غَنيهم أَبَداً غبى
وَلاand not يَدريhe knows بَياضاًwhiteness أَوor سَواداًblackness
وَلا يَدري بَياضاً أَو سَواداً
And their wealthy man is forever foolish,
And he knows neither white nor black.
مفتشهمtheir inspector تَراهyou see him بِغَيرwithout تاءthe letter tāʾ
مفتشهم تَراه بِغَير تاء
وَلَكنbut بِالنِفاقthrough hypocrisy رَقىhe rose وَساداand held sway
وَلَكن بِالنِفاق رَقى وَسادا
You see their inspector without the letter tāʾ,
Yet through hypocrisy he rose and held sway.
وَكَمand how many أَوor حالa state أَحوالaffairs لَدَيهُمwith them
وَكَم أَو حال أَحوال لَدَيهُم
تَفَرَقَتsplit apart القُلوبthe hearts بِهاthrough them اِتِحاداin unity
تَفَرَقَت القُلوب بِها اِتِحادا
And how many—or what a state of affairs—they have,
Through which hearts split apart in unity.
لِذاكfor that reason يَرىsees مَريدهموtheir defiant one سَراباًa mirage
لِذاك يَرى مَريدهمو سَراباً
وَيَأبىand refuses اللَهGod إِلّاexcept ماwhat أَراداHe willed
وَيَأبى اللَه إِلّا ما أَرادا
Thus their defiant one sees a mirage,
And God allows only what He wills.
Sol 6.1