نفوس الناس بالشح

نفوس الناس بالشح

وسوء الظن مربوطه

وسوء الظن مربوطه

People's souls, by avarice

People's souls are stinged by greed

and mistrust, are bound.

And tied down by ill suspicions

وفي ذاك علاماتٌ

وفي ذاك علاماتٌ

بما قد قلت مشروطة

بما قد قلت مشروطة

And in that there are signs,

Signs of that are apparent

conditioned by what I have said.

In what I have already mentioned

فشرع الشر قد شيلتُ

فشرع الشر قد شيلتُ

وشرع الخير محطوطه

وشرع الخير محطوطه

So the sails of evil have been hoisted,

The law of evil I have lifted

and the sails of goodness lowered.

And the law of good laid low

وقد سلت سيوف الفت

وقد سلت سيوف الفت

ك والهيبة وغطوطه

ك والهيبة وغطوطه

And the swords of deadly violence have been drawn,

Swords of sedition were unsheathed

and awe is smothered.

As were terror and its shrouds

وقد ليقت دويّ البغ

وقد ليقت دويّ البغ

ي والأقلام مقطوطه

ي والأقلام مقطوطه

And oppression's inkwells have been readied,

The roar of aggression was unleashed

and the pens have been trimmed.

As pens were broken in two

وقلّت بركات الكس

وقلّت بركات الكس

ب والأنفس مقحوطه

ب والأنفس مقحوطه

And the blessings of earning have dwindled,

The blessings of livelihood diminished

and souls are drought-stricken.

And souls became confined

وصارت نيّة الوال

وصارت نيّة الوال

د للمولود مسخوطه

د للمولود مسخوطه

And a father's intent

A father's intention towards his newborn

toward his child is now resented.

Became twisted and impure

ترى الموسوم بالعف

ترى الموسوم بالعف

ة في الظلم بأنشوطه

ة في الظلم بأنشوطه

You see the one marked by chastity

The one marked by virtue now wallows

caught in a noose of oppression.

In injustice, beaten down

وقد أضحت يد البذل

وقد أضحت يد البذل

عن الإخوان مقموطه

عن الإخوان مقموطه

And the hand of generosity has become

The hand of generosity has withdrawn

bound, kept from reaching brothers.

From brothers, clenched tight

فمن فرّط أو خلّ

فمن فرّط أو خلّ

ط يهوى الناس تخليطه

ط يهوى الناس تخليطه

So whoever is remiss or muddles things—

Whoever neglected or fooled

people love his muddling.

People pursue to mix his brew

وصار الرجل الخي

وصار الرجل الخي

ر بين الناس أغلوطه

ر بين الناس أغلوطه

And the good man has become

And the good man among the people

a baffling riddle among the people.

Became their ridiculed fool

ولا ينكرُ مخلوقٌ

ولا ينكرُ مخلوقٌ

على الفاسق تفريطه

على الفاسق تفريطه

And no creature condemns

No creature would deny

the sinner for his negligence.

A sinner his transgression

وقد قل الوفا في النا

وقد قل الوفا في النا

س فالآداب مسقوطه

س فالآداب مسقوطه

And fidelity among people has dwindled,

Loyalty has dwindled among people

so good manners have been cast aside.

So manners have been cast down

وصار الدين بالأهوا

وصار الدين بالأهوا

فآلاته مخبوطه

فآلاته مخبوطه

And religion has become subject to whims,

Religion has been steeped

so its instruments are battered.

In vain passions and illusions

فكتب الجد قد ردّت

فكتب الجد قد ردّت

وكتب الهزل محظوظه

وكتب الهزل محظوظه

So books of seriousness have been rejected,

Books of truth have been rejected

and books of jest are favored.

While books of jest prized

فما قيمة أهل العل

فما قيمة أهل العل

م فيهم جفّت بلوطه

م فيهم جفّت بلوطه

So what are the learned worth

What value have the learned

among them? An acorn's husk.

If their hearts have dried out?

وصارت أحرف المعرو

وصارت أحرف المعرو

ف بالمنكر منقوطه

ف بالمنكر منقوطه

And the letters of goodness have become

The letters of the noble

dotted with evil,

Are now dotted with disgrace

من البحر إلى البحر

من البحر إلى البحر

إلى الساحل فالغوطه

إلى الساحل فالغوطه

from sea to sea,

From sea to sea, to the coast

to the coast, then to the Ghouta.

To the deepest ravine

فما نفس وإن عاشت

فما نفس وإن عاشت

على العيش بمغبوطه

على العيش بمغبوطه

So no soul, even if it lives,

What soul, though sustained

is to be envied for its life.

By the most favored provision?