لَولا التَنافُسُ في الدُنيا لَما وُضِعَت

لَولا التَنافُسُ في الدُنيا لَما وُضِعَت

كُتبُ القَناطِرِ لا المُغني وَلا العُمَدُ

كُتبُ القَناطِرِ لا المُغني وَلا العُمَدُ

Were it not for rivalry in this world, there would not have been composed

Were it not for rivalry in this world, there would have been no need for

the books of al-Qanatir, nor al-Mughni, nor al-ʿUmad.

Books on geometry, music or pillars.

قَد بالَغوا في كَلامٍ بانَ زُخرُفُهُ

قَد بالَغوا في كَلامٍ بانَ زُخرُفُهُ

يوهي العُيونَ وَلَم تَثبُت لَهُ عَمَدُ

يوهي العُيونَ وَلَم تَثبُت لَهُ عَمَدُ

They have gone to excess in discourse whose ornament is plain;

They have exceeded in words whose adornment,

it strains the eyes, yet has no firm pillars.

Dazzles the eyes, yet has no firm foundation.

وَما يَزالونَ في شامٍ وَفي يَمنٍ

وَما يَزالونَ في شامٍ وَفي يَمنٍ

يَستَنبِطونَ قِياساً ما لَهُ أَمَدُ

يَستَنبِطونَ قِياساً ما لَهُ أَمَدُ

And they continue, in the Levant and in Yemen,

Still in Syria and Yemen, they continue

to draw inferences by analogy without end.

To deduce analogies that have no basis.

فَذَرهُمُ وَدَناياهُمُ فَقَد شَغَلوا

فَذَرهُمُ وَدَناياهُمُ فَقَد شَغَلوا

بِها وَيَكفيكَ مِنها القادِرُ الصَمَدُ

بِها وَيَكفيكَ مِنها القادِرُ الصَمَدُ

So leave them and their base deeds alone, for they have busied themselves

So leave them and their worldly affairs, for they are preoccupied

with them; and the All-Powerful, the Eternal Refuge, will shield you from them.

With it, and sufficient for you is the All Powerful, the Eternal.