فينا مَعاشِرُ لَم يَبنوا لِقِومِهِمُ

فينا مَعاشِرُ لَم يَبنوا لِقِومِهِمُ

وَإِنَّ بَني قَومِهِم ما أَفسَدوا عادوا

وَإِنَّ بَني قَومِهِم ما أَفسَدوا عادوا

Among us are groups who have built nothing for their people,

Among us are those who built not for their people

and if their people rebuild what they have ruined, they return to ruin it again.

Though the people's children did no harm, they opposed

لا يَرشُدون وَلَن يَرعوا لِمُرشِدِهم

لا يَرشُدون وَلَن يَرعوا لِمُرشِدِهم

فَالغَيُّ مِنهُم مَعاً وَالجَهلُ ميعادُ

فَالغَيُّ مِنهُم مَعاً وَالجَهلُ ميعادُ

They do not follow the right path, nor will they heed their guide;

They offer no guidance, nor heed their guide

so error comes from them all, and ignorance is their rendezvous.

So ignorance and misguidance is their fate

كَانوا كَمِثلِ لُقَيمٍ في عَشيرَتِهِ

كَانوا كَمِثلِ لُقَيمٍ في عَشيرَتِهِ

إذ أُهلِكَت بِالَّذي قَد قَدَّمَت عادُ

إذ أُهلِكَت بِالَّذي قَد قَدَّمَت عادُ

They were like Luqaym among his clan,

They were like Luqaym among his clan

when ‘Ad was destroyed for what it had sent ahead;

When 'Aad were destroyed for what they began

أَو بَعدَه كِقُدارٍ حينَ تابَعَهُ

أَو بَعدَه كِقُدارٍ حينَ تابَعَهُ

عَلى الغِوايَةِ أَقوامٌ فَقَد بادوا

عَلى الغِوايَةِ أَقوامٌ فَقَد بادوا

or like Qudar after him, when he was followed

Or like Qudar who followed and then

in error by peoples who then perished.

Led people astray till destruction came

وَالبَيتُ لا يُبتَنى إِلّا لَهُ عَمَدٌ

وَالبَيتُ لا يُبتَنى إِلّا لَهُ عَمَدٌ

وَلا عِمادَ إِذا لَم تُرسَ أَوتادُ

وَلا عِمادَ إِذا لَم تُرسَ أَوتادُ

And a house cannot be built unless it has pillars,

A house is built on pillars set deep

nor can a pillar stand if the stakes are not firmly set.

With no pillars standing the roof cannot keep

فَإِن تَجَمَّعَ أَوتادٌ وَأَعمِدَةٌ

فَإِن تَجَمَّعَ أَوتادٌ وَأَعمِدَةٌ

وَساكِنٌ بَلَغوا الأَمرَ الَّذي كادوا

وَساكِنٌ بَلَغوا الأَمرَ الَّذي كادوا

So if stakes and pillars come together,

When pillars and beams come together as one

along with a dweller, they attain the goal they intended.

They accomplish what they together had done

وَإِن تَجَمَّعَ أَقوامٌ ذَوو حَسَبٍ

وَإِن تَجَمَّعَ أَقوامٌ ذَوو حَسَبٍ

اِصطادَ أَمرَهُمُ بِالرُشدِ مُصطادُ

اِصطادَ أَمرَهُمُ بِالرُشدِ مُصطادُ

And if people of noble lineage gather,

When men of merit and lineage convene

a hunter wins command of their affairs through sound judgment.

Their affairs succeed guided rightly I ween

لا يَصلُحُ الناسُ فَوضى لا سَراةَ لَهُم

لا يَصلُحُ الناسُ فَوضى لا سَراةَ لَهُم

وَلا سَراةَ إِذا جُهّالُهُم سادوا

وَلا سَراةَ إِذا جُهّالُهُم سادوا

People cannot prosper in disorder, with no leaders,

Mankind cannot prosper lacking leadership

nor are there leaders when their ignorant ones rule.

Nor succeed when ignorance takes precedence

تُلفى الأُمورُ بِأَهلِ الرُشدِ ما صَلَحَت

تُلفى الأُمورُ بِأَهلِ الرُشدِ ما صَلَحَت

فَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَبِالأَشرارِ تَنقادُ

فَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَبِالأَشرارِ تَنقادُ

Affairs, so long as they prosper, are found with the wise;

With the rightly-guided affairs come to rights

but if they withdraw, affairs are led by the wicked.

Else with evil men all things lead to blights

إِذا تَوَلّى سَراةُ القَومِ أَمرَهُمُ

إِذا تَوَلّى سَراةُ القَومِ أَمرَهُمُ

نَما عَلى ذاك أَمرُ القَومِ فَاِزدادوا

نَما عَلى ذاك أَمرُ القَومِ فَاِزدادوا

When the people's leaders take charge of their affairs,

When the leadership of a people goes astray

on that basis the people's affairs flourish, and they prosper further.

Their affairs decline and worsen each day

أَمارَةُ الغَيِّ أَن تَلقى الجَميعَ لَدى ال

أَمارَةُ الغَيِّ أَن تَلقى الجَميعَ لَدى ال

إِبرامِ لِلأَمرِ وَالأَذنابُ أَكتادُ

إِبرامِ لِلأَمرِ وَالأَذنابُ أَكتادُ

A sign of error is to find everyone at the

The mark of misguidance is that the mass assents

settling of affairs, with tails serving as shoulders.

When resolving affairs though fools represent

كَيفَ الرَشادُ إِذا ما كُنتَ في نَفَرٍ

كَيفَ الرَشادُ إِذا ما كُنتَ في نَفَرٍ

لَهُم عَنِ الرُشدِ أَغلالٌ وَأَقيادُ

لَهُم عَنِ الرُشدِ أَغلالٌ وَأَقيادُ

How can there be right guidance when you are among men

What guidance when you're among a band

whose shackles and fetters hold them back from the right path?

For whom guidance is shackled, banned?

أَعطَوا غُواتَهَمُ جَهلاً مَقادَتَهُم

أَعطَوا غُواتَهَمُ جَهلاً مَقادَتَهُم

فَكُلُّهُم في حِبالِ الغَيِّ مُنقادُ

فَكُلُّهُم في حِبالِ الغَيِّ مُنقادُ

In ignorance they gave their reins to their wayward ones;

They gave their reins to ignorance leading their way

so all of them are led along in the ropes of error.

So all were by misguidance led astray

حانَ الرَحيلُ إِلى قَومٍ وَإِن بَعُدوا

حانَ الرَحيلُ إِلى قَومٍ وَإِن بَعُدوا

فيهِم صَلاحٌ لِمُرتادٍ وَإِرشادُ

فيهِم صَلاحٌ لِمُرتادٍ وَإِرشادُ

It is time to leave for a people, even if they are far away,

Time to move where goodness can be found

among whom a seeker finds well-being and guidance.

Though kin be near and homeland abound

فَسَوفَ أَجعَلُ بُعدَ الأَرضِ دونَكُمُ

فَسَوفَ أَجعَلُ بُعدَ الأَرضِ دونَكُمُ

وَإِن دَنَت رَحِمٌ مِنكُم وَميلادُ

وَإِن دَنَت رَحِمٌ مِنكُم وَميلادُ

So I shall set a wide stretch of earth between you and me,

Salvation, if you've vision, is to flee

even if kinship and birth draw me close to you.

The harm of misguidance - leave, break free

إِنَّ النَجاةَ إِذا ما كُنتَ ذا بَصَرٍ

إِنَّ النَجاةَ إِذا ما كُنتَ ذا بَصَرٍ

مِن أَجَّةِ الغَيِّ إِبعادٌ فَإِبعادُ

مِن أَجَّةِ الغَيِّ إِبعادٌ فَإِبعادُ

Indeed, deliverance—if you have insight—

The good grows the more you meet with it

from the turmoil of error lies in moving farther and farther away.

While evil diminishes if you limit it

وَالخَيرُ تَزدادُ مِنهُ ما لَقيتَ بِهِ

وَالخَيرُ تَزدادُ مِنهُ ما لَقيتَ بِهِ

وَالشَرُّ يَكفيكَ مِنهُ قَلَّ ما زادُ

وَالشَرُّ يَكفيكَ مِنهُ قَلَّ ما زادُ

And of good you gain more whenever you encounter it;

and of evil, what little is added is enough for you.