لِلدَهرِ يا أَبناءَ مَعمَرٍ

لِلدَهرِ يا أَبناءَ مَعمَرٍ

لَكُم ذُنوبٌ لَيسَ تُغفَر

لَكُم ذُنوبٌ لَيسَ تُغفَر

Time, O sons of Ma‘mar,

O sons of long-lived forebears, for time

has sins on your account that cannot be forgiven.

You have sins that will not be forgiven

أَعطاكُمُ الجَمَّ الجَزي

أَعطاكُمُ الجَمَّ الجَزي

لَ وَكُنتُمُ بِالمَنعِ أَجدَر

لَ وَكُنتُمُ بِالمَنعِ أَجدَر

It gave you lavish abundance,

He gave you bountifully, generously

though you were more deserving of denial.

Yet withholding would have better suited you

وَوَليتُمُ الدُنيا فَأُل

وَوَليتُمُ الدُنيا فَأُل

فيتُم مِنَ الحَجّاجِ أَجوَر

فيتُم مِنَ الحَجّاجِ أَجوَر

And you ruled the world, and were found

You took the world, so it cheated you

more unjust than al-Hajjaj.

And you took from the pilgrims their wages

في كُلِّ صُقعٍ مِنكُمُ

في كُلِّ صُقعٍ مِنكُمُ

وَالٍ ظَلومٌ قَد تَعَمَّر

وَالٍ ظَلومٌ قَد تَعَمَّر

In every region there is, from among you,

In every region among you

an unjust governor who has lived long

Is an unjust ruler who has grown old

مُتَجَبِّراً ما خَوَّفو

مُتَجَبِّراً ما خَوَّفو

هُ بِرَبِّهِ إِلّا تَجَبَّر

هُ بِرَبِّهِ إِلّا تَجَبَّر

as a tyrant—never did they warn

Arrogant, frightened only

him of his Lord without his growing more tyrannical.

By his pride, not his Lord the Great

مُتَنَمِّرَ الأَخلاقِ كَال

مُتَنَمِّرَ الأَخلاقِ كَال

لَيثِ الغَضوبِ إِذا تَنَمَّر

لَيثِ الغَضوبِ إِذا تَنَمَّر

Fierce in temper, like

Ill-natured as an angry lion

an angry lion when it turns savage.

When it is enraged and growls

وَلَقَد أَذالَ بِصَرفِهِ

وَلَقَد أَذالَ بِصَرفِهِ

مِن عُصبَةٍ مِنكُم فَأَعذَر

مِن عُصبَةٍ مِنكُم فَأَعذَر

And Time has indeed humbled, through its reversals,

Many defectors has he humiliated

a band of you, giving ample warning.

With his power, so I will excuse him

فَسَيَلحَقَنَّ بِمَن تَقد

فَسَيَلحَقَنَّ بِمَن تَقد

دَمَ النَوائِبِ مَن تَأَخَّر

دَمَ النَوائِبِ مَن تَأَخَّر

So those who went before will surely be joined

For they will be overtaken by fate

in calamity by those who remain behind.

Who lagged behind the tribulations

تِهتُم عَلى المُستَضعَفي

تِهتُم عَلى المُستَضعَفي

نَ تَكَبُّراً وَاللَهُ أَكبَر

نَ تَكَبُّراً وَاللَهُ أَكبَر

You lorded it over the downtrodden,

You tyrannize the weak

in arrogance—yet God is greater.

With arrogance, though God is greater

وَغَدَوتُمُ ذا قُدرَةٍ

وَغَدَوتُمُ ذا قُدرَةٍ

فَفَتَكتُمُ وَاللَهُ أَقدَر

فَفَتَكتُمُ وَاللَهُ أَقدَر

And you came to possess power,

And when empowered

so you killed ruthlessly—yet God is more powerful.

You raged, though God is more powerful

لَكُمُ صَحائِفُ ريبَةٍ

لَكُمُ صَحائِفُ ريبَةٍ

تُجزَونَ فيها يَومَ تُنشَر

تُجزَونَ فيها يَومَ تُنشَر

Yours are records of wrongdoing,

You have dubious records

for which you will be requited the day they are unfolded,

For which you will be judged when spread

وَقَبيحُ آثارٍ عَلى

وَقَبيحُ آثارٍ عَلى

أَعقابِكُم تُروى وَتُؤثَر

أَعقابِكُم تُروى وَتُؤثَر

and a shameful legacy in

Ugly traces of you remain

your wake, recounted and handed down.

Reported and influencing

قَومٌ يُضامُ الجارُ في

قَومٌ يُضامُ الجارُ في

أَبياتِهِم وَالعَهدُ يُخفَر

أَبياتِهِم وَالعَهدُ يُخفَر

A people whose neighbor is wronged in

A people whose neighbor is wronged

their homes, and whose pledges are broken.

In their homes, pacts broken

عُرِفوا بِكُفرانِ الصَني

عُرِفوا بِكُفرانِ الصَني

عِ وَهُم لِصُنعِ اللَهِ أَكفَر

عِ وَهُم لِصُنعِ اللَهِ أَكفَر

They are known for ingratitude toward kindness,

Known for black ingratitude

and are still more ungrateful for God's bounty.

To God's favors they are unthankful

وَاِستَحسَنوا نَقضَ العُهودِ فَهُ

وَاِستَحسَنوا نَقضَ العُهودِ فَهُ

م مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَغدَر

م مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَغدَر

And they approve of breaking covenants, so

And breaking covenants they love

they are more treacherous than the days.

So perfidy makes them vilest