إِلَهٌ قادِرٌ وَعَبيدُ سوءٍ

إِلَهٌ قادِرٌ وَعَبيدُ سوءٍ

وَجَبرٌ في المَذاهِبِ وَاِعتِزالُ

وَجَبرٌ في المَذاهِبِ وَاِعتِزالُ

A powerful God, and wicked servants;

A powerful God and servants gone astray

And among the doctrines, predestination and Muʿtazilism.

Disputes in doctrines and seclusion

وَبِالكِذبِ اِنسَرى وَضحٌ وَلَيلٌ

وَبِالكِذبِ اِنسَرى وَضحٌ وَلَيلٌ

وَلَم تَزَلِ الخُطوبُ وَلا تَزالُ

وَلَم تَزَلِ الخُطوبُ وَلا تَزالُ

And in falsehood, daylight and night have passed.

With lies the dawn breaks and days and nights

And calamities have never ceased, nor do they cease.

Troubles never ceased and will not cease

وَلَولا حاجَةٌ في الذِئبِ تَدعو

وَلَولا حاجَةٌ في الذِئبِ تَدعو

لِصَيدِ الوَحشِ ما اِقتُنِصَ الغَزالُ

لِصَيدِ الوَحشِ ما اِقتُنِصَ الغَزالُ

And were it not for a need within the wolf, urging it

If the wolf had no need that drives

To hunt wild beasts, the gazelle would not be caught.

It to hunt prey, the gazelle untouched would graze

وَما لِذُؤالَةَ المِسكينِ صَبرٌ

وَما لِذُؤالَةَ المِسكينِ صَبرٌ

فَيَصرُفَهُ عَنِ الحَملِ الهُزالُ

فَيَصرُفَهُ عَنِ الحَملِ الهُزالُ

And poor Dhuʾālah, the wolf, has no patience

The poor man's begging has no patience

To let emaciation turn him away from the lamb.

That turns him from the burden of disgrace

وَيَسعى في المَعاشِ الخَلقُ حَتّى

وَيَسعى في المَعاشِ الخَلقُ حَتّى

مِنَ الشِبثانِ نَسجٌ وَاِغتِزالُ

مِنَ الشِبثانِ نَسجٌ وَاِغتِزالُ

And all creatures strive for a living—even

People struggle to survive until

From spiders come weaving and spinning.

From rags both weaving and unweaving done

وَلَو أَمِنَت شِمالُكَ وَهيَ أُختٌ

وَلَو أَمِنَت شِمالُكَ وَهيَ أُختٌ

يَمينَكَ ظُنَّ خَونٌ وَاِختِزالُ

يَمينَكَ ظُنَّ خَونٌ وَاِختِزالُ

And even if your left hand, though a sister, trusted

If your left hand, though sister to the right

Your right, treachery and pilfering would be suspected.

Betrays, betrayal and deceit are assumed