كَأَنّي بِهِمْ إِذْ خالَفوا بَعْضَ أَمْرِهِ

كَأَنّي بِهِمْ إِذْ خالَفوا بَعْضَ أَمْرِهِ

وقَدْ جُمِعَتْ أَعْناقُهُمْ والسَّلاسِلُ

وقَدْ جُمِعَتْ أَعْناقُهُمْ والسَّلاسِلُ

It is as though I see them, when they defied part of his command,

It is as if I see them when they disobeyed some of His command,

their necks and the chains already brought together;

And their necks were tied together with chains.

وصيغَتْ خَلاخيلٌ لَهُمْ وأَساوِرٌ

وصيغَتْ خَلاخيلٌ لَهُمْ وأَساوِرٌ

عَلى أَنَّ حاليها مَدى الدَّهْرِ عاطِلُ

عَلى أَنَّ حاليها مَدى الدَّهْرِ عاطِلُ

anklets and bracelets fashioned for them—

Bracelets and shackles were made for them,

though their wearer remains forever unadorned.

Forever inactive, for the rest of time.

فلا نُزِعَتْ تِلْكَ الأَساوِرُ عَنْهُمُ

فلا نُزِعَتْ تِلْكَ الأَساوِرُ عَنْهُمُ

ولا فارَقَتْهُمْ في الحَياةِ الخَلاخِلُ

ولا فارَقَتْهُمْ في الحَياةِ الخَلاخِلُ

May those bracelets never be taken from them,

Those shackles will not be taken off them,

nor may the anklets leave them in this life.

Nor will those bracelets leave them in life.