إنindeed النصارىthe Christians واليهودand the Jews كلاهماboth of them
إن النصارى واليهود كلاهما
لاno عقلreason فيهمin them والعقولand minds شواهدُwitnesses
لا عقل فيهم والعقول شواهدُ
Indeed, the Christians and the Jews, both of them,
The Christians and the Jews are both devoid of reason, though reason itself bears witness.
Have no reason, and minds bear witness.
The Christians made the Exalted Lord three, then claimed the three are one. Reason refuses this contradiction, though the obstinate deny it.
جعلmade النصارىthe Christians الربthe Lord جلَّexalted is He ثلاثةًthree
جعل النصارى الرب جلَّ ثلاثةً
ثمthen ادعواthey claimed أنthat الثلاثةthe three واحدone
ثم ادعوا أن الثلاثة واحد
The Christians made the Lord—exalted is He—three,
Likewise the Jews, though once great in number, produced no righteous guide. For forty years they wandered, perplexed, their growing numbers unable to escape.
Then claimed that the three are one.
Though thousands more than when they started, they ended where they began, wandering and begetting in their confusion.
والعقلand reason يأبىrejects والتناقضand the contradiction واضحٌclear
والعقل يأبى والتناقض واضحٌ
بينamong الورىhumankind وإنand even if استرابdoubts الجاحدthe denier
بين الورى وإن استراب الجاحد
And reason rejects this, and the contradiction is clear
Thus when God leads astray a people, hope in them is lost, and the traveller goes astray. A judgment that perplexes the wise, though it deserves to be called poetry.
Among humankind, even if the denier doubts.
The cause of all this is the loss of proof by those whom the Majestic God led astray. But those who found guidance, their intellects perfected by prior grace, see and bear witness.
وكذاand likewise اليهودthe Jews وإنand although تكاثرincreased عدُّهمtheir number
وكذا اليهود وإن تكاثر عدُّهم
فيماin what مضىpassed لمdid not يبدappear منهمamong them راشدone rightly guided
فيما مضى لم يبد منهم راشد
And likewise the Jews, though their number increased,
Intellect is the light of God in His kingdom, by which we are enjoined, which bears witness.
In times past, no rightly guided man appeared among them.
فيfor أربعينforty منof السنينthe years تحيرواthey wandered bewildered
في أربعين من السنين تحيروا
فيin مَهمَهٍa wilderness ماnot قدرُهits extent متزايدincreasing
في مَهمَهٍ ما قدرُه متزايد
For forty years they wandered bewildered
In a wilderness whose extent did not increase.
لمdid not يقدرواthey were able أنto يخرجواthey get out منهof it وهمand they
لم يقدروا أن يخرجوا منه وهم
عددa number كثيرlarge عنbeyond ألوفthousands زائدexceeding
عدد كثير عن ألوف زائد
They could not get out of it, though they were
A great multitude, exceeding thousands.
دارواthey circled وقدand already رجعواthey returned لموضعto the place of بدئهمtheir beginning
داروا وقد رجعوا لموضع بدئهم
وتناسلواand they reproduced فيin تيههمtheir wandering وتوالدواand they begot offspring
وتناسلوا في تيههم وتوالدوا
They circled and returned to their starting place,
And they multiplied in their wandering and begot offspring.
وكذاand likewise الإلهGod إذاwhen أضلleads astray جماعةa group
وكذا الإله إذا أضل جماعة
خابwas dashed الرجاhope منهمin them وضلand went astray القاصدthe seeker
خاب الرجا منهم وضل القاصد
And likewise, when God leads a group astray,
Hope in them is dashed, and the seeker goes astray.
حكَمٌwisdoms يحاربهاhe contends with them اللبيبthe discerning man وإنهاand indeed they
حكَمٌ يحاربها اللبيب وإنها
لَأَحَقُّsurely more deserving فيهاabout them أنthat تقالbe spoken قصائدpoems
لَأَحَقُّ فيها أن تقال قصائد
Wisdoms with which the discerning man grapples—and indeed,
They surely deserve poems to be spoken about them.
وملاكand the crux of ذلكthat كلِّهall of it فقدُthe loss of الحجاreason
وملاك ذلك كلِّه فقدُ الحجا
ممنfrom whoever أضلcaused to be lost لهfor him الإلهGod الماجدthe Glorious
ممن أضل له الإله الماجد
And the crux of all that is the loss of reason
In anyone for whom the Glorious God has caused it to be lost.
ومنand whoever اهتدىis guided واللهand God أكملperfected عقلهhis reason
ومن اهتدى والله أكمل عقله
بعنايةthrough care سبقتcame before يرىhe sees فيشاهدand so he beholds
بعناية سبقت يرى فيشاهد
And whoever is guided—God having perfected his reason
Through care that came before—sees and thus beholds.
والعقلand reason نورthe light of اللهGod فيin ملكوتهHis dominion
والعقل نور الله في ملكوته
وبهand through it لناfor us التكليفreligious accountability وهوand it الشاهدthe witness
وبه لنا التكليف وهو الشاهد
And reason is God's light in His dominion,
And through it we are accountable, and it is the witness.
Partial English translation: 7 of 24 Arabic lines translated.