قَد بَدَّلَ العالَمُ عاداتِهِم

قَد بَدَّلَ العالَمُ عاداتِهِم

بَل قَدَرٌ مِن فَوقِهِم بَدَّلا

بَل قَدَرٌ مِن فَوقِهِم بَدَّلا

The world's people have indeed changed their ways;

The world has changed their habits

Rather, fate from above them has wrought the change.

Rather, it was a destiny from above them that changed

تَوَقَّعوا مِن دَهرِهِم عَدلَهُ

تَوَقَّعوا مِن دَهرِهِم عَدلَهُ

وَالدَهرُ لا يُحسِنُ أَن يَعدِلا

وَالدَهرُ لا يُحسِنُ أَن يَعدِلا

They expected justice from their age,

They expected justice from their era

But time does not know how to be just.

Yet the era does not know how to be just

هَل يَأمَنُ الضائِنُ سيدَ الغَضا

هَل يَأمَنُ الضائِنُ سيدَ الغَضا

أَوِ الحَمامُ المُغتَدي أَجدَلا

أَوِ الحَمامُ المُغتَدي أَجدَلا

Can a sheep feel safe from the wolf of the ghada thickets,

Does the complainant feel safe from the angry master

Or a dove setting out at dawn, from a falcon?

Or the audacious pigeon from the hawk

أَخافُ كَونَ الرَندِ ضالاً وَلا

أَخافُ كَونَ الرَندِ ضالاً وَلا

آمَنُ كَونَ الضالَةِ المَندَلا

آمَنُ كَونَ الضالَةِ المَندَلا

I fear the laurel becoming wild lote; nor

I fear the debauched being lost

Am I safe from the wild lote tree becoming aloeswood.

And do not feel assured about the lost being found

وَالشَرُّ فينا غالِبٌ طالِبٌ

وَالشَرُّ فينا غالِبٌ طالِبٌ

يُلحِقُ بِالدَوِيَّةِ المَجدَلا

يُلحِقُ بِالدَوِيَّةِ المَجدَلا

And evil among us prevails and pursues,

Evil amongst us is dominant, desiring

Making the fortress one with the desert waste.

To reach the lost sheep

في كُلِّ دَهرٍ جَنَفٌ كامِنٌ

في كُلِّ دَهرٍ جَنَفٌ كامِنٌ

وَالنَحسُ في المَولِدِ وَالسَعدُ لا

وَالنَحسُ في المَولِدِ وَالسَعدُ لا

In every age, injustice lies hidden,

In every era there lurks injustice

And ill fortune is present at birth, but good fortune is not.

And misfortune in birth, while fortune does not

يا مَعدِنَ العَسجَدِ أَصبَحتَ ما

يا مَعدِنَ العَسجَدِ أَصبَحتَ ما

تُخرِجُ إِلّا التُربَ وَالجَندَلا

تُخرِجُ إِلّا التُربَ وَالجَندَلا

O mine of gold, you now do not

O mine of lions, you have become

Yield anything but dust and stones.

Only producing dust and rags

وَالعُجبُ داءٌ قاتِلٌ أَهلَهُ

وَالعُجبُ داءٌ قاتِلٌ أَهلَهُ

يُمانِعُ الأَستارَ أَن تُسدَلا

يُمانِعُ الأَستارَ أَن تُسدَلا

And self-conceit is a disease that kills those who harbor it,

Arrogance is a fatal disease that kills its people

Preventing the curtains from being lowered.

Preventing the veils from being drawn

عَيرٌ عَلى سَفواءَ يُزهى مَنِ ال

عَيرٌ عَلى سَفواءَ يُزهى مَنِ ال

قائِمُ لَمّا رَكِبَ الدُلدُلا

قائِمُ لَمّا رَكِبَ الدُلدُلا

An ass on a swift mule, puffed with pride—who is al-

A criticism of the foolish whom the one who rode the donkey praises

Qa'im, when he has mounted Duldul?