أَيُّهاO you السّائِلُwho ask عنabout ناظِرِناour overseer
أَيُّها السّائِلُ عن ناظِرِنا
قدindeed نَفَىdrove away عَنْهُfrom him عماهُhis blindness الرَّمَدَاeye inflammation
قد نَفَى عَنْهُ عماهُ الرَّمَدَا
O you who ask about our overseer,
His blindness has driven sore eyes away from him.
جَلَبَbrought المالَthe wealth عليهto him معشرٌa band of men
جَلَبَ المالَ عليه معشرٌ
جَعَلُوهthey made him بَوَّهُtheir calfskin dummy المُعْتَمدَاthe trusted one
جَعَلُوه بَوَّهُ المُعْتَمدَا
A band of men brought wealth to him;
They made him their trusted calfskin dummy.
سِرْgo إِلىto الديوانِthe bureau فانظُرْand behold صُورةًa figure
سِرْ إِلى الديوانِ فانظُرْ صُورةً
جُمعَwas gathered الجهلُignorance بهاin it فانفرداand so stood alone
جُمعَ الجهلُ بها فانفردا
Go to the bureau and behold a figure
In which ignorance was gathered, and so stood alone.
صَنَمٌan idol فيin بِيعَةٍa church لكنَّهُyet he
صَنَمٌ في بِيعَةٍ لكنَّهُ
صَنَمٌan idol فيin بِيعةٍa church ماnot عُبِدَاwas worshipped
صَنَمٌ في بِيعةٍ ما عُبِدَا
An idol in a church—yet he is
An idol in a church, never worshipped.