لَو كُنتُمُ أَهلَ صَفوٍ قالَ ناسِبُكُم

صَفوِيَّةٌ فَأَتى بِاللَفظِ ما قُلِبا

If you were people of purity, a fitting address

Would have been purity, but speech distorts meanings.

جُندٌ لِإِبليسَ في بَدليسَ آوِنَةً

وَتارَةً يَحلِبونَ العَيشَ في حَلَبا

An army of Iblis in the land of Bedlis now and then

Milking life in Aleppo.

طَلَبتُمُ الزادَ في الآفاقِ مِن طَمَعٍ

وَاللَهُ يُوجَدُ حَقاً أَينَما طُلِبا

You sought provision in horizons out of greed

Yet God is found wherever truly sought.

وَلَستُ أَعني بِهَذا غَيرَ فاجِرِكُم

إِنَّ التَقِيَّ إِذا زاحَمتَهُ غَلَبا

I do not mean by this except your debauched ones,

For the devout, if opposed, will overcome.

كَالشَمسِ لَم يَدنُ مِن أَضوائِها دَنَسٌ

وَالبَدرُ قَد جَلَّ عَن ذَمٍّ وَإِن ثُلِبا

Like the sun - no blemish approaches its rays

The full moon is far above blame even when eclipsed.

وَما أَرى كُلَّ قَومٍ ضَلَّ رُشدُهُمُ

إِلّا نَظيرَ النَصارى أَعظَموا الصُلُبا

I see no people gone astray but their sanity

Is like Christians, building up crucifixes.

يا آلَ إِسرالَ هَل يُرجى مَسيحُكُمُ

هَيهاتَ قَد مَيَّزَ الأَشياءَ مَن خُلِبا

O Children of Israel! Can your Messiah be hoped for!

Far from it! He who formed things distinguished them.

قُلنا أَتانا وَلَم يُصلَب وَقَولُكُمُ

ما جاءَ بَعدُ وَقالَت أُمَّةٌ صُلِبا

We said he came but was not crucified, yet you say

One came after and a nation cried "Crucify!"

جَلَبتُمُ باطِلَ التَوراةِ عَن شَحَطٍ

وَرُبَّ شَرٍّ بَعيدٍ لِلفَتى جُلَبا

You brought the Torah's falsehood through distortion

And much evil is attracted by the youth.

كَم يُقتَلُ الناسُ ما هَمُّ الَّذي عَمَدَت

يَداهُ لِلقَتلِ إِلّا أَخذُهُ السَلَبا

How many are killed though their hands never spilled blood

Save seizing plunder and rapine.

بِالخُلفِ قامَ عَمودُ الدينِ طائِفَةٌ

تَبني الصُروحَ وَأُخرى تَحفُرُ القُلُبا

Religion's pillar is upheld by later generations

Building palaces while others dig graves.