لما سمعت بنقطة

لما سمعت بنقطة

في الخلف صارت شر هوّة

في الخلف صارت شر هوّة

When I heard of a single dot

When I heard of a dot

That, among later generations, became the worst of chasms,

that, in dispute, became the worst abyss,

حققتها فوجدتها

حققتها فوجدتها

بين البنوّة والنبوّة

بين البنوّة والنبوّة

I examined it and found it

I examined it and found it

Between sonship and prophethood:

between sonship and prophethood.

ضغن وحقد دائم

ضغن وحقد دائم

كانت لعيسى منه غنوة

كانت لعيسى منه غنوة

Rancor and hatred without end—

Rancor and abiding hatred—

Jesus had no need of it.

Jesus had no need of it.

وهو الذي مِن نصحه

وهو الذي مِن نصحه

للمرء أن يهوى عدوّة

للمرء أن يهوى عدوّة

He whose very way it was

And he was the one whose counsel

That a person should love his enemy.

was for a person to love an enemy.

لم يحكه تبّاعه

لم يحكه تبّاعه

زهدا ولم يسلوا سلوّة

زهدا ولم يسلوا سلوّة

His followers have not imitated him

His followers did not imitate him

In renunciation; not once have they let go.

in renunciation, nor did they attain detachment.

أتراه كان يبيحهم

أتراه كان يبيحهم

أن يأخذوا الدنيا بقوّة

أن يأخذوا الدنيا بقوّة

Can you suppose that he permitted them

Do you think he would have allowed them

To seize the world by force?

to seize the world by force?