كَمhow many أُناسٍpeople أَظهَرواthey displayed الزُهدَasceticism لَناto us
كَم أُناسٍ أَظهَروا الزُهدَ لَنا
فَتَجافَواso they kept away عَنfrom حَلالٍwhat is lawful وَحَرامِand what is forbidden
فَتَجافَوا عَن حَلالٍ وَحَرامِ
How many people have made a show of asceticism before us,
How many people feigned asceticism before us
and so kept away from the lawful and the forbidden!
Yet were heedless of the lawful and unlawful
قَلَّلواthey reduced الأَكلَeating وَأَبدَواand they displayed وَرَعاًscrupulous piety
قَلَّلوا الأَكلَ وَأَبدَوا وَرَعاً
وَاِجتِهاداًand diligence فيin صِيامٍfasting وَقِيامِand night prayer
وَاِجتِهاداً في صِيامٍ وَقِيامِ
They ate less and displayed scrupulous piety,
They minimized eating and pretended piety
and diligence in fasting and night prayer.
And devotion in fasting and night vigils
ثُمَّthen لَمّاwhen أَمكَنَتهُمbecame available to them فُرصَةٌan opportunity
ثُمَّ لَمّا أَمكَنَتهُم فُرصَةٌ
أَكَلواthey ate أَكلَthe eating of الحَزانىthe grief-stricken فيin الظَلامِthe darkness
أَكَلوا أَكلَ الحَزانى في الظَلامِ
Then, when an opportunity presented itself to them,
But when an opportunity presented itself
they ate as the grief-stricken eat in the dark.
They gorged like gluttons in the dark of night
Sol 6.1