لَعَمرُكَ ما نَصرٌ فَلا تَحسِبَنَّهُ

لَعَمرُكَ ما نَصرٌ فَلا تَحسِبَنَّهُ

مِنَ المُسلِمينَ بِالقَويِّ وَلا الجَلدِ

مِنَ المُسلِمينَ بِالقَويِّ وَلا الجَلدِ

By your life, Nasr is not—so do not reckon him

By your life, Nasr is not—so do not think him to be—

among the Muslims—either strong or steadfast.

strong or hardy among the Muslims.

خَرَجتَ مَع العَوراءِ تَلتَمِسُ الهُدى

خَرَجتَ مَع العَوراءِ تَلتَمِسُ الهُدى

وَكانَ الهُدى فيما تَرَكتَ عَلى عَمدِ

وَكانَ الهُدى فيما تَرَكتَ عَلى عَمدِ

You went out with “the One-Eyed Woman,” seeking guidance,

You went out with the one-eyed woman, seeking guidance,

yet guidance lay in what you deliberately abandoned.

yet guidance lay in what you deliberately left behind.

وَقَد كانَ في الفُرقانِ لَو كُنتَ باغِياً

وَقَد كانَ في الفُرقانِ لَو كُنتَ باغِياً

لِنَفسِكَ مِنهُ ما يَدُلُّ عَلى الرُشدِ

لِنَفسِكَ مِنهُ ما يَدُلُّ عَلى الرُشدِ

Indeed, in the Criterion—had you been a seeker—there was

And indeed, in the Criterion there was—had you been seeking

for your soul something from it to point the way to rectitude.

for yourself from it—what points to the right path.