دَعَوا وَما فيهِم زاكٍ وَلا أَحَدٌ

يَخشى الإِلَهَ فَكانوا أَكلُباً نُبُحا

They called but among them there was neither pure nor anyone

Who fears God, so they were just barking dogs

وَهَل أُجِلُّ قَتيلٍ مِن رِجالِهِمُ

إِذا تُؤُمِّلَ إِلّا ماعِزٌ ذُبِحا

And is the corpse of any of their men more venerable

When given respite, except for a slaughtered goat?

خَيرٌ مِنَ الظالِمِ الجَبّارِ شيمَتُهُ

ظُلمٌ وَحَيفٌ ظَليمٌ يَرتَعي الذُبَحا

Better than the unjust tyrant is his nature

Oppression, injustice, a wrongful tyrant who grazes on the slaughtered

وَلَيسَ عِندَهُمُ دينٌ وَلا نُسُكٌ

فَلا تَغِرَّكَ أَيدٍ تَحمِلُ السُبَحا

And they have neither religion nor ritual

So do not be fooled by the hands that carry the rosary

وَكَم شُيوخٍ غَدَوا بيضاً مُفارِقُهُم

يُسَبِّحونَ وَباتوا في الخَنا سُبُحا

And how many elders bid farewell, their whiteness leaving them

Glorifying, and spent the night in their shrouds glorifying

لَو تَعقِلُ الأَرضُ وَدَّت أَنَّها صَفِرَت

مِنهُم فَلَم يَرَ فيها ناظِرٌ شَبَحا

If the earth had sense, it would shake for becoming yellow

From them, and no onlooker saw in it a wraith

ما ثَعلَبٌ وَاِبنُ يحيى مُبتَغايَ بِهِ

وَإِن تَفاصَحَ إِلّا ثَعلَبٌ ضَبَحا

Not a fox and the son of John I seek with it

And if eloquent, still just a howling fox

أَرى اِبنَ آدَمَ قَضّى عَيشَةً عَجَباً

إِن لَم يَرُح خاسِراً مِنها فَما رَبِحا

I see the son of Adam living a wondrous life

If he does not end up losing from it, he did not gain

فَإِن قَدَرتَ فَلا تَفعَل سِوى حَسَنٍ

بينَ الأَنامِ وَجانِب كُلَّ ما قُبِحا

So if you can, do nothing but good

Among people, and avoid all that is ugly

فَحيرَةُ المُلكِ خِلتُ المُنذِرينِ بِها

لَم يُغبِقا الراحَ في عِزٍّ وَلا صُبِحا

The kingdom's confusion is what warns the warner

Who did not bake the winds in might nor clear mornings