أَتَقدَحُ فيمَن شَرَّفَ اللَهُ قَدرَهُ

أَتَقدَحُ فيمَن شَرَّفَ اللَهُ قَدرَهُ

وَمازالَ مَخصوصاً بِهِ طَيِّبُ الثَنا

وَمازالَ مَخصوصاً بِهِ طَيِّبُ الثَنا

Do you impugn one whose station God has ennobled,

Do you disparage one whose rank God has honored,

who has ever been singled out for gracious praise?

And for whom fine praise has always been reserved?

لَعَمرُكَ ما أَحسَنتَ فيما فَعَلتَهُ

لَعَمرُكَ ما أَحسَنتَ فيما فَعَلتَهُ

وَليسَ قَبيحُ القَولِ في الناسِ حَيِّنا

وَليسَ قَبيحُ القَولِ في الناسِ حَيِّنا

By your life, you have not done well in what you did;

By your life, you did not do well in what you did.

vile speech about others is no custom of our people.

And foul speech among people is no trivial matter.

فَيا قائِلاً قَولاً يَسوءُ سَماعُهُ

فَيا قائِلاً قَولاً يَسوءُ سَماعُهُ

بِحَقِّكَ نَزِّهنا عَنِ الفُحشِ وَالخَنا

بِحَقِّكَ نَزِّهنا عَنِ الفُحشِ وَالخَنا

O you who utter words grievous to hear,

So, O you who utter words painful to hear,

I beg you, keep us clear of obscenity and foulness.

By your honor, spare us obscenity and foul speech.

نَطَقتَ فَلَم تُحسِن وَلَم تَبقَ ساكِتاً

نَطَقتَ فَلَم تُحسِن وَلَم تَبقَ ساكِتاً

لَقَد فاتَكَ الأَمرُ الَّذي كانَ أَحسَنا

لَقَد فاتَكَ الأَمرُ الَّذي كانَ أَحسَنا

You spoke, but spoke not well, nor did you remain silent;

You spoke, but not well, and you did not remain silent.

you missed the course that would have been better.

Indeed, you missed the course that was better.

دَعِ القَومَ إِنَّ القَومَ عَنكَ بِمَعزِلٍ

دَعِ القَومَ إِنَّ القَومَ عَنكَ بِمَعزِلٍ

وَإِنَّكَ عَن هَذا الحَديثِ لَفي غِنى

وَإِنَّكَ عَن هَذا الحَديثِ لَفي غِنى

Leave those men alone—the men stand apart from you,

Leave these people alone; they stand apart from you.

and surely you have no need of this talk.

And you surely have no need of this talk.

رِجالٌ لَهُم سِرٌّ مَعَ اللَهِ خالِصٌ

رِجالٌ لَهُم سِرٌّ مَعَ اللَهِ خالِصٌ

وَلا أَنتَ مِن ذاكَ القَبيلِ وَلا أَنا

وَلا أَنتَ مِن ذاكَ القَبيلِ وَلا أَنا

They are men with a secret, kept pure, with God;

Men who share a pure secret with God,

neither you nor I belong to that company.

And neither you nor I belong to that company.

تَكَلَّفتَ أَمراً لَم تَكُن مِن رِجالِهِ

تَكَلَّفتَ أَمراً لَم تَكُن مِن رِجالِهِ

لَكَ الوَيلُ مِن هَذا التَكَلُّفِ وَالعَنا

لَكَ الوَيلُ مِن هَذا التَكَلُّفِ وَالعَنا

You took upon yourself a matter whose men you were not among;

You undertook a matter for which you were not qualified.

woe to you for this presumption and trouble.

Woe to you for this pretension and toil!

تَميلُ إِلى الدُنيا وَتُبدي تَزَهُّداً

تَميلُ إِلى الدُنيا وَتُبدي تَزَهُّداً

وَلا أَنتَ مَعدودٌ هُناكَ وَلا هُنا

وَلا أَنتَ مَعدودٌ هُناكَ وَلا هُنا

You incline toward this world, yet make a show of renouncing it,

You incline toward the world and make a show of asceticism,

and you are counted neither there nor here.

And you are counted neither there nor here.