وإخوانِ صدقٍ جمل الله ذكرهم

وإخوانِ صدقٍ جمل الله ذكرهم

معلمهم كلبٌ وهو يزجرونَهْ

معلمهم كلبٌ وهو يزجرونَهْ

And faithful brothers—may God beautify their remembrance—

True brothers, may God exalt their mention,

Their teacher is a dog, yet they rebuke him.

Their teacher, a dog, barks at them.

يعرفهم بالحالِ والفعلِ قدرهم

يعرفهم بالحالِ والفعلِ قدرهم

فيعرفهم عيناً وهم يجهلونه

فيعرفهم عيناً وهم يجهلونه

Through his state and deeds, he teaches them their worth.

He knows their present state and worth through action,

So he knows them directly, while they do not know him.

So he knows them with his eyes though they are ignorant of him.

يلازمُ بابَ القومِ يحمي ذمارهم

يلازمُ بابَ القومِ يحمي ذمارهم

ويحفظهم طبعاً ولا يحفظونه

ويحفظهم طبعاً ولا يحفظونه

He stays at the people's door, guarding their household and honor.

He stays by the people's door protecting their households,

And he guards them by instinct, yet they do not guard him.

And naturally protects them, though they don't protect him.

يقول لهم بالحالِ إني منكمُ

يقول لهم بالحالِ إني منكمُ

وعلمي بكم علمٍ بما تعلمونه

وعلمي بكم علمٍ بما تعلمونه

He says to them through his state, “Indeed, I am one of you,

He says to them in the present state, "I am one of you,

And my knowledge of you is knowledge of what you know.”

And my knowledge of you is knowledge of what you know."

فلم يفهموا ما قاله وتواطئوا

فلم يفهموا ما قاله وتواطئوا

على مسكه حفظاً بما ينظرونه

على مسكه حفظاً بما ينظرونه

So they did not understand what he said, and agreed

But they did not understand what he said and agreed

To keep him for protection, because of what they see in him.

To hold him back out of protection from what they saw in him.