علم بلا عمل وَفعلٌ مُنكرُ

علم بلا عمل وَفعلٌ مُنكرُ

وَفَواحشٌ مَشهورة لا تُحصَرُ

وَفَواحشٌ مَشهورة لا تُحصَرُ

Knowledge without deeds, and a reprehensible act,

Knowledge without action and repulsive deeds

And notorious abominations beyond counting.

And notorious immoralities beyond measure

أَبمثل هذا يا مهين عَلى الوَرى

أَبمثل هذا يا مهين عَلى الوَرى

في هذِهِ الدُنيا الدَنيئة تَفخر

في هذِهِ الدُنيا الدَنيئة تَفخر

Is it with such things, contemptible one, above humankind,

Is this what you boast of, O despised one, in this

That you boast in this lowly world?

Wretched, lowly world?

يا أَخبث الثقلين كَم تَعصى الَّذي

يا أَخبث الثقلين كَم تَعصى الَّذي

أَنشاك مِن عَدم وَلا تتستر

أَنشاك مِن عَدم وَلا تتستر

O vilest of humans and jinn, how often you disobey Him

O most wicked of creations, how much do you disobey Him

Who created you from nothing—and you do not conceal yourself!

Who created you from nothingness, yet you don't repent?

أَبنسبةٍ مَعلومةٍ تَرجو النَجا

أَبنسبةٍ مَعلومةٍ تَرجو النَجا

وَالعرقُ دساسٌ وَأَمرُك أَشهَر

وَالعرقُ دساسٌ وَأَمرُك أَشهَر

Do you hope for salvation through a known lineage?

Do you hope for salvation, with your known lineage,

Yet ancestral blood works unseen, and your conduct is more notorious.

While your ancestry is most notorious?

يا شَيخ سوء ضلّ عَن سبل الهدى

يا شَيخ سوء ضلّ عَن سبل الهدى

إِن اليَزيد بقتل مثلك يَعذر

إِن اليَزيد بقتل مثلك يَعذر

O wicked sheikh who has strayed from the paths of guidance,

O wicked old man who strayed from the path of guidance,

Indeed, Yazid would be excused for killing your like.

There is no blame in killing the likes of you.

لم لا وَأَنتَ عَلى الخَنى لا تَنتَهي

لم لا وَأَنتَ عَلى الخَنى لا تَنتَهي

وَبِكُل موبقة تَهيم وَتَأمر

وَبِكُل موبقة تَهيم وَتَأمر

Why not, when you never desist from lewdness,

Why don't you cease your treachery

And you are enamored of every ruinous sin and enjoin it?

And desist from every sin, insisting upon it?

وَتَهمّ بِالذكران وَهِيَ كَبيرة

وَتَهمّ بِالذكران وَهِيَ كَبيرة

لا سِيما مِن عارف لا يُنكر

لا سِيما مِن عارف لا يُنكر

And you set your sights on males—a major sin,

You dare to think of young boys, and that is a major sin,

Especially from one who knows and does not deny it.

Especially for a knowledgeable man - nothing is concealed from him.

إِن كانَ غرّك مِن زَمانك صَفوُهُ

إِن كانَ غرّك مِن زَمانك صَفوُهُ

هَذا هُوَ اِستدراج عَبد يَكفر

هَذا هُوَ اِستدراج عَبد يَكفر

If the serenity of your days has deceived you,

If it was the sweetness of your youth that deceived you,

This is the gradual entrapment of a servant who disbelieves.

That is how a servant is misled into disbelief.

يا كَعبة الفسق الذَميم إِلى مَتى

يا كَعبة الفسق الذَميم إِلى مَتى

تَختال في هذا الضلال وَتخطر

تَختال في هذا الضلال وَتخطر

O Kaaba of vile debauchery, how long

O despised House of Wickedness, for how long

Will you strut in this error and swagger,

Will you strut around in this misguidance, and scheme?

وَتجرّ أَذيال المَعاصي راغِباً

وَتجرّ أَذيال المَعاصي راغِباً

عَن طاعة لِلّه مِنها تؤجر

عَن طاعة لِلّه مِنها تؤجر

And drag the trailing skirts of sin, turning away

And drag the hem of your garment in sin, preferring

From obedience to God, for which you would be rewarded?

Disobedience to God over deeds for which you'll be rewarded?

وَأَراك إِن صَلَّى سِواك هَجرتَه

وَأَراك إِن صَلَّى سِواك هَجرتَه

وَنسبته للرجس وَهوَ مطهر

وَنسبته للرجس وَهوَ مطهر

And I see that if another prays, you shun him,

I see that when someone prays differently than you

And brand him impure, though he is purified.

You declare him impure, though he is pure.

أَمّا الصِيام فَقَد تَرَكتَ تَعمداً

أَمّا الصِيام فَقَد تَرَكتَ تَعمداً

وَلَأَنتَ عَن بَذل الزَكاة مقصر

وَلَأَنتَ عَن بَذل الزَكاة مقصر

As for fasting, you have abandoned it deliberately,

As for fasting, you deliberately abandoned it

And you are indeed remiss in giving zakat.

And you fall short in paying the alms.

لَكن نَراك عَلى النَوافل عاكِفاً

لَكن نَراك عَلى النَوافل عاكِفاً

مَع تَرك فَرض اللَه وَهوَ مُقرّر

مَع تَرك فَرض اللَه وَهوَ مُقرّر

Yet we see you devoted to voluntary observances,

But we see you engrossed in supererogatory acts

While neglecting God's obligation, though it is firmly established.

While neglecting God's obligatory duties.

أَو كلما أَولاك ربك نعمة

أَو كلما أَولاك ربك نعمة

قابلتها بخطيئة لا تُغفَر

قابلتها بخطيئة لا تُغفَر

Or whenever your Lord bestows a blessing on you,

Or whenever your Lord gives you a blessing

Do you repay it with a sin that is not forgiven?

You repay it with a sin that is unforgivable.

أَو ما نَهاك الشَيب عَن عَيب بِهِ

أَو ما نَهاك الشَيب عَن عَيب بِهِ

أَصبَحت مَعرفةً وَأَنتَ مُنَكَّر

أَصبَحت مَعرفةً وَأَنتَ مُنَكَّر

Or have gray hairs not deterred you from a fault through which

Or, hasn't old age prevented you from shameful faults

You have become well known, though you are an unknown?

That you now recognize, though once unacknowledged?

لَيت الَّذي وافاك مِنهُ بِنصله

لَيت الَّذي وافاك مِنهُ بِنصله

ما كانَ أَبقى واقباً لا يَفتر

ما كانَ أَبقى واقباً لا يَفتر

Would that he who came at you over it with his blade

If only the one who came upon you with his blade

Had not spared you, thrusting without flagging!

Had been more firm and unrelenting in his attack.

وَلَو اَنَّهُ كانَ اِستَعان بِربه

وَلَو اَنَّهُ كانَ اِستَعان بِربه

لَقضى عَلَيك وَزال ذاك المُنكر

لَقضى عَلَيك وَزال ذاك المُنكر

And had he sought help from his Lord,

If only he had sought help from his Lord

He would have finished you, and that abomination would have vanished.

He would have finished you off and removed that disgrace.

وَلما صُفعتَ عَلى قَفاك بصرمة

وَلما صُفعتَ عَلى قَفاك بصرمة

مِن كَفِّ حافظة لودّك تهجر

مِن كَفِّ حافظة لودّك تهجر

And when you were slapped on your nape with a shoe

When you were slapped on the nape with a palm

By a hand mindful of your affection, you raved.

By a protector whose friendship you spurned,

تَباً لمثلك كَيفَ تَنسى لَيلة

تَباً لمثلك كَيفَ تَنسى لَيلة

هَجموا عَلَيك وَأَنتَ فيها تفجر

هَجموا عَلَيك وَأَنتَ فيها تفجر

Ruin upon your like! How can you forget the night

Woe to you! How can you forget that night

They burst in upon you while you practiced debauchery there?

When they attacked while you sat there drunk?

أَغفلت وَيلك عَن مَضيق مُظلم

أَغفلت وَيلك عَن مَضيق مُظلم

أَمسيت فيهِ تَقول ذاكَ مقدّر

أَمسيت فيهِ تَقول ذاكَ مقدّر

Have you forgotten—woe to you!—a dark, narrow place

You forgot your misery in that dark, confined space

Where you spent the evening saying, 'That is ordained'?

Where you said, "that was destined".

يا قبلة الأَشرار هَل تَنزو عَلى

يا قبلة الأَشرار هَل تَنزو عَلى

أَزواج رَهط مِن دِماك تَصوّروا

أَزواج رَهط مِن دِماك تَصوّروا

O qibla of the wicked, do you mount

O companion of evildoers! Do you gloat

The wives of a band of men formed from your blood?

Over the widows of the men whose blood you shed?

أَتظن أَنك بَعدَ هَذا مُسلمٌ

أَتظن أَنك بَعدَ هَذا مُسلمٌ

وَلأَنتَ مِن فَرعون موسى أَكفر

وَلأَنتَ مِن فَرعون موسى أَكفر

Do you think you are a Muslim after this?

Do you think after this that you are a Muslim?

And you are surely more unbelieving than Moses' Pharaoh.

You are more unbelieving than Pharaoh!

وَلَو اِقتَصرت عَلى الكَبائر هَذِهِ

وَلَو اِقتَصرت عَلى الكَبائر هَذِهِ

لَكفت وَحاقَ بِكَ العَذاب الأَكبر

لَكفت وَحاقَ بِكَ العَذاب الأَكبر

And had you confined yourself to these major sins,

If you had kept to these major sins alone

They would have sufficed, and the greater torment would have engulfed you.

It would have sufficed, and earned you the greatest punishment.

لَكن مَزجت بِها الريا وَالادّعا

لَكن مَزجت بِها الريا وَالادّعا

وَالشرك وَالإضرار فيما قَرروا

وَالشرك وَالإضرار فيما قَرروا

Yet you mixed with them ostentation and pretension,

But you added to them, lying, fraud,

And polytheism and harm, according to what they have established.

Polytheism and mischief, as they established.

يا رُكن بَيت الغيّ هَل مِن تَوبة

يا رُكن بَيت الغيّ هَل مِن تَوبة

تَلقى بِها رَباً رَحيماً يَغفر

تَلقى بِها رَباً رَحيماً يَغفر

O pillar of the house of waywardness, is there repentance

O pillar of the house of sin, is there any repentance

Through which you may meet a merciful Lord who forgives?

With which you will meet a Lord Most Forgiving?

فَاِسمَع وَدَع واقبل نَصيحة ناصح

فَاِسمَع وَدَع واقبل نَصيحة ناصح

قَد صاغَها لَكَ مثل درّ يُنثَر

قَد صاغَها لَكَ مثل درّ يُنثَر

So listen, desist, and accept a sincere adviser's counsel,

So listen, desist, and accept the advice

Which he has fashioned for you like pearls being strewn,

Of one offering you sincere counsel.

مِن قَبل أَن تَهوي بقعر جَهنم

مِن قَبل أَن تَهوي بقعر جَهنم

وَتَرى مِن الأَهوال مالا يُذكر

وَتَرى مِن الأَهوال مالا يُذكر

Before you plunge into the depths of Hell,

Lest you plunge into the depths of Hell

And see horrors that cannot be spoken of.

And witness terrors beyond description.

وَاعلَم بِأَني إن رَأَيتك بَعدَها

وَاعلَم بِأَني إن رَأَيتك بَعدَها

عَن مَقعد الأَرجاس لا تَتأخر

عَن مَقعد الأَرجاس لا تَتأخر

And know that if I see you after this

Know that if I see you afterwards

Not hanging back from the seat of the vile,

Tarrying in the abode of filth,

أَلقيت مني في هجائك فارِساً

أَلقيت مني في هجائك فارِساً

عِندَ النزال جَواده لا يعثر

عِندَ النزال جَواده لا يعثر

I shall send forth from myself a knight to lampoon you,

I will set upon you in your censure a stalwart poet

Whose steed never stumbles in combat.

Whose steed in battle does not stumble.

وَلَوَ اَنَّ للخطباء بَعضَ مَواقفي

وَلَوَ اَنَّ للخطباء بَعضَ مَواقفي

في زَجر قَوم بِالضَلال تَدثروا

في زَجر قَوم بِالضَلال تَدثروا

And if preachers had some of the stands I take

If only the preachers had some of my encounters

In rebuking a people who have cloaked themselves in error,

In deterring a people wrapped up in misguidance.

لَتعطلت أَسباب إبليس الَّذي

لَتعطلت أَسباب إبليس الَّذي

في جُنده عَما قَليل تحشر

في جُنده عَما قَليل تحشر

The devices of Iblis would be thwarted—

Then the ploys of Iblis would be foiled, whose troops

The one into whose army you will soon be mustered.

Are few when mustered.