دَعَوا وَما فيهِم زاكٍ وَلا أَحَدٌ

دَعَوا وَما فيهِم زاكٍ وَلا أَحَدٌ

يَخشى الإِلَهَ فَكانوا أَكلُباً نُبُحا

يَخشى الإِلَهَ فَكانوا أَكلُباً نُبُحا

They called out, though none among them was virtuous, nor anyone

They called but among them there was neither pure nor anyone

who feared God; so they were barking dogs.

Who fears God, so they were just barking dogs

وَهَل أُجِلُّ قَتيلٍ مِن رِجالِهِمُ

وَهَل أُجِلُّ قَتيلٍ مِن رِجالِهِمُ

إِذا تُؤُمِّلَ إِلّا ماعِزٌ ذُبِحا

إِذا تُؤُمِّلَ إِلّا ماعِزٌ ذُبِحا

And is the most illustrious of their slain men,

And is the corpse of any of their men more venerable

when closely considered, anything but a slaughtered goat?

When given respite, except for a slaughtered goat?

خَيرٌ مِنَ الظالِمِ الجَبّارِ شيمَتُهُ

خَيرٌ مِنَ الظالِمِ الجَبّارِ شيمَتُهُ

ظُلمٌ وَحَيفٌ ظَليمٌ يَرتَعي الذُبَحا

ظُلمٌ وَحَيفٌ ظَليمٌ يَرتَعي الذُبَحا

Better than the tyrannical oppressor, whose disposition

Better than the unjust tyrant is his nature

is injustice and oppression, is an ostrich grazing on dhubaḥ plants.

Oppression, injustice, a wrongful tyrant who grazes on the slaughtered

وَلَيسَ عِندَهُمُ دينٌ وَلا نُسُكٌ

وَلَيسَ عِندَهُمُ دينٌ وَلا نُسُكٌ

فَلا تَغِرَّكَ أَيدٍ تَحمِلُ السُبَحا

فَلا تَغِرَّكَ أَيدٍ تَحمِلُ السُبَحا

And they have neither religion nor devotion;

And they have neither religion nor ritual

so let no hands carrying prayer beads deceive you.

So do not be fooled by the hands that carry the rosary

وَكَم شُيوخٍ غَدَوا بيضاً مُفارِقُهُم

وَكَم شُيوخٍ غَدَوا بيضاً مُفارِقُهُم

يُسَبِّحونَ وَباتوا في الخَنا سُبُحا

يُسَبِّحونَ وَباتوا في الخَنا سُبُحا

And how many elders, their hair partings white, began the day

And how many elders bid farewell, their whiteness leaving them

praising God, yet spent the night swimming in obscenity!

Glorifying, and spent the night in their shrouds glorifying

لَو تَعقِلُ الأَرضُ وَدَّت أَنَّها صَفِرَت

لَو تَعقِلُ الأَرضُ وَدَّت أَنَّها صَفِرَت

مِنهُم فَلَم يَرَ فيها ناظِرٌ شَبَحا

مِنهُم فَلَم يَرَ فيها ناظِرٌ شَبَحا

If the earth could reason, it would wish itself empty

If the earth had sense, it would shake for becoming yellow

of them, so no beholder would see a figure upon it.

From them, and no onlooker saw in it a wraith

ما ثَعلَبٌ وَاِبنُ يحيى مُبتَغايَ بِهِ

ما ثَعلَبٌ وَاِبنُ يحيى مُبتَغايَ بِهِ

وَإِن تَفاصَحَ إِلّا ثَعلَبٌ ضَبَحا

وَإِن تَفاصَحَ إِلّا ثَعلَبٌ ضَبَحا

Thaʿlab—and by him I mean Ibn Yaḥyā—is nothing

Not a fox and the son of John I seek with it

but a yelping fox, even if he affects eloquence.

And if eloquent, still just a howling fox

أَرى اِبنَ آدَمَ قَضّى عَيشَةً عَجَباً

أَرى اِبنَ آدَمَ قَضّى عَيشَةً عَجَباً

إِن لَم يَرُح خاسِراً مِنها فَما رَبِحا

إِن لَم يَرُح خاسِراً مِنها فَما رَبِحا

I see Adam's son has lived out a strange life:

I see the son of Adam living a wondrous life

if he does not depart from it a loser, he has gained nothing.

If he does not end up losing from it, he did not gain

فَإِن قَدَرتَ فَلا تَفعَل سِوى حَسَنٍ

فَإِن قَدَرتَ فَلا تَفعَل سِوى حَسَنٍ

بينَ الأَنامِ وَجانِب كُلَّ ما قُبِحا

بينَ الأَنامِ وَجانِب كُلَّ ما قُبِحا

So if you can, do nothing but good

So if you can, do nothing but good

among humankind, and shun everything vile.

Among people, and avoid all that is ugly

فَحيرَةُ المُلكِ خِلتُ المُنذِرينِ بِها

فَحيرَةُ المُلكِ خِلتُ المُنذِرينِ بِها

لَم يُغبِقا الراحَ في عِزٍّ وَلا صُبِحا

لَم يُغبِقا الراحَ في عِزٍّ وَلا صُبِحا

So, in royal Hīrah, I fancied that the two Mundhirs

The kingdom's confusion is what warns the warner

had been served no wine in glory, at evening or at dawn.

Who did not bake the winds in might nor clear mornings