1. عزَّ إِلَهُ العَالَمْ

    وذلَّ ابنُ آدمْ

    Mighty is the God of the world,

    and abased is the son of Adam.

  2. يُخَاصِمُونَ ربَّهم

    والرَبُّ لا يخَاصَمْ

    They dispute with their Lord,

    yet the Lord is not to be disputed with.

  3. وحاكَموه للنَّهي

    وعِنْدَهُ تُحاكَمْ

    And they put Him on trial for His prohibition,

    yet before Him you are judged.

  4. وقائلٍ لِمْ كَانَ ذا

    وقائل لِمْ لاَ ولم

    And one says, ‘Why was this?’

    and another, ‘Why not? And why?’

  5. قد سَلِمُوا لو سلَّموا

    وقد نَجا مَنْ سَالَمْ

    They would have been safe had they submitted,

    and whoever made peace was saved.

  6. ومدَّع بأَنَّه

    في العِلْم لا يُقَاوَمْ

    And one who claims that he

    cannot be rivaled in knowledge

  7. رأَى الزَّمانَ حَادِثاً

    فقالَ قد تَقَادَمْ

    saw time as newly arisen,

    then said, ‘It has grown ancient.’

  8. وما دَرَى بأَنَّه

    لِفعْلهِ قَدْ صَادَمْ

    And he did not know that he

    had clashed with his action.

  9. يُفْحِمُه وَيدَّعِي

    بأَنَّه قَدْ كَاتَمْ

    He silences him and claims

    that he has kept things hidden.

  10. يا حُسْنَ ما جاءُوا بِه

    لو تمَّ لكِنَّ مَا تَمْ

    How fine what they brought would have been,

    had it been complete—but it was not.

  11. إن يرج إلا حربه

    ما تم إلا ما تم

    He hopes for nothing but his war;

    nothing came to pass but what came to pass.

  12. مَاتَ الهُدَى ما بَيْنَنا

    فكلُّنَا مآتِمْ

    Guidance has died among us,

    so we are all funeral wakes.