أَيُّ ناسٍ هذا الوَرَى مَا رأى

أَيُّ ناسٍ هذا الوَرَى مَا رأى

إلاَّ برايا شقيَّةً مجنونَهْ

إلاَّ برايا شقيَّةً مجنونَهْ

What sort of people are these mortals? They have seen

What people are these that the world has not seen

What manner of people is this mankind? It has seen naught

nothing but wretched, crazed creatures.

Except for wretched mad lands

Save wretched creatures, possessed by madness.

جبَّلتْها الحَيَاةُ في ثورة اليأ

جبَّلتْها الحَيَاةُ في ثورة اليأ

سِ من الشَّرِّ كيْ تُجِنُّ جُنُونَهْ

سِ من الشَّرِّ كيْ تُجِنُّ جُنُونَهْ

Life molded them in a frenzy of despair,

Whose life mounted them in the revolt of misery

Life molded them in a revolution of despair

out of evil, to rage with its madness.

So that it brings out their madness

Born of evil, to goad their madness to a frenzy.

فأَقامتْ لهُ المعابدَ في الكو

فأَقامتْ لهُ المعابدَ في الكو

نِ وصَلَّتْ لهُ وشَادَتْ حُصُونَهْ

نِ وصَلَّتْ لهُ وشَادَتْ حُصُونَهْ

So they built it temples throughout the universe,

It has erected temples for it in the universe

So they raised temples to it throughout the cosmos,

and prayed to it and raised its fortresses.

And prayed for it and built its fortresses

Prayed at its altars, and fortified its strongholds.

كم فتاةٍ جميلةٍ مدحوها

كم فتاةٍ جميلةٍ مدحوها

وتغنَّوْا بها لكيْ يُسْقِطوها

وتغنَّوْا بها لكيْ يُسْقِطوها

Many a beautiful girl they praised,

How many beautiful girls they praised

How many a fair maiden have they praised,

and sang of her, only to make her fall.

And sang about so they would make them fall

Singing her glory only to bring about her fall.

فإذا صانَتِ الفَضيلَةَ عابو

فإذا صانَتِ الفَضيلَةَ عابو

ها وإنْ باعتِ الخَنَا عبدوها

ها وإنْ باعتِ الخَنَا عبدوها

But when she guarded virtue, they reviled

If she kept her chastity they blamed her

If she guards her virtue, they cast blame upon her,

her; and if she peddled vice, they worshiped her.

And if she sold her shame they worshipped her

Yet if she trades in vice, they worship at her feet.

أَصْبَحَ الحسنُ لعنةً تهبط الأَر

أَصْبَحَ الحسنُ لعنةً تهبط الأَر

ضَ ليَغْوى أَبناؤُها وذووها

ضَ ليَغْوى أَبناؤُها وذووها

Beauty became a curse descending to earth,

Beauty has become a curse that descends earth

Beauty has become a curse descending to the earth,

so that her sons and kindred might go astray.

To tempt her sons and relatives

To lead astray its children and its kin.

وشقيٍّ طافَ المدينَةَ يستج

وشقيٍّ طافَ المدينَةَ يستج

دي ليَحْيَا فخيَّبوه احتقارا

دي ليَحْيَا فخيَّبوه احتقارا

And a wretch roamed the city, begging

And a wretch roamed the city seeking

And a wretch roaming the city, begging

to stay alive, but they rebuffed him in contempt.

To make a living but they spurned him with contempt

For life, whom they spurned with utter scorn.

أيقظوا فيهِ نزْعَةَ الشَّرِّ فانْقَضَّ

أيقظوا فيهِ نزْعَةَ الشَّرِّ فانْقَضَّ

على النَّاسِ فاتكاً جبَّارا

على النَّاسِ فاتكاً جبَّارا

They awakened in him the urge to evil, so he swooped

They provoked in him the urge of evil so he pounced

They awoke the impulse of evil within him, so he pounced

upon the people, murderous and tyrannical,

On the people, a tyrannical beast

Upon the people, a lethal, mighty tyrant.

يبذُرَ الرُّعبَ في القُلُوبِ ويُذكي

يبذُرَ الرُّعبَ في القُلُوبِ ويُذكي

حيثما حلَّ في الجوانحِ نارا

حيثما حلَّ في الجوانحِ نارا

sowing terror in hearts and kindling

Sowing terror in hearts and igniting

Sowing terror in their hearts, and kindling

a fire within their breasts wherever he went.

Wherever he settled in the souls a fire

A blazing fire in the soul wherever he treads.

ونبيٍّ قَدْ جاءَ للنَّاسِ بالحَقِّ

ونبيٍّ قَدْ جاءَ للنَّاسِ بالحَقِّ

فكالوا لهُ الشَّتائمَ كَيْلا

فكالوا لهُ الشَّتائمَ كَيْلا

And a prophet who came to the people with truth—

And a prophet who came to people with the truth

And a prophet who came to the people with the Truth,

they measured out insults to him in full measure,

Yet, they pelted him with insults without end

Upon whom they heaped insults beyond measure.

وتنادَوْا بهِ إلى النَّارِ فالنَّا

وتنادَوْا بهِ إلى النَّارِ فالنَّا

رُ بِرُوحِ الخبيثِ أَحْرى وأَوْلى

رُ بِرُوحِ الخبيثِ أَحْرى وأَوْلى

and cried to one another, “To the fire with him! For fire

And called him to the fire, so the fire

Calling out to cast him into the fire—for the flame

is more fitting, more appropriate for the villain’s soul!”

With the wicked soul is more deserving and apt

Is deemed most fitting for a spirit so 'vile'.

ثمَّ ألقوْهُ في اللَّهيبِ وظلُّوا

ثمَّ ألقوْهُ في اللَّهيبِ وظلُّوا

يَملأون الوُجُودَ رُعباً وهوْلا

يَملأون الوُجُودَ رُعباً وهوْلا

Then they cast him into the blaze and kept

Then they threw him in the flames and remained

Then they cast him into the blaze, continuing

filling existence with terror and dread.

Filling existence with horror and awe

To fill the world with terror and with dread.

وَشُعوبٍ ضعيفةٍ تتلظَّى

وَشُعوبٍ ضعيفةٍ تتلظَّى

في جحيمِ الآلامِ عاماً فعاما

في جحيمِ الآلامِ عاماً فعاما

And weak peoples, burning

And weak nations that smolder

And weak nations, burning and writhing

in a hell of suffering, year after year,

In the hell of pain year after year

In a hell of suffering, year after weary year.

والقويُّ الظَّلومُ يَعْصِرُ مِنْ

والقويُّ الظَّلومُ يَعْصِرُ مِنْ

آلامها السُّودِ لَذَّةً ومُدَاما

آلامها السُّودِ لَذَّةً ومُدَاما

while the mighty oppressor squeezes from

And the unjust mighty one extracts from

While the unjust tyrant wrings from their black

their black sufferings pleasure and wine.

Their black suffering pleasure and wine

Agonies a draught of pleasure and of wine.

يتحسَّاهُ ضاحكاً لا يراها

يتحسَّاهُ ضاحكاً لا يراها

خُلِقَتْ في الوُجُودِ طعاما

خُلِقَتْ في الوُجُودِ طعاما

He sips it, laughing, not seeing them—

Relishing it laughing without seeing them

Sipping it with laughter, seeing them only

created in this world as food.

Created in existence as food

As fodder created to sustain his existence.

وفتاةً حسبتَها معْبَدَ الحبِّ

وفتاةً حسبتَها معْبَدَ الحبِّ

فأَلفيتَ قلبَها ماخُورا

فأَلفيتَ قلبَها ماخُورا

And a girl you thought a temple of love,

And a girl you thought the temple of love

And a girl you deemed a temple of pure love,

yet found her heart a brothel.

But found her heart soiled

Only to find her heart a house of ill repute.

ونبيلٍ وجدتَهُ في ضياءِ الفَجْ

ونبيلٍ وجدتَهُ في ضياءِ الفَجْ

رِ قلباً مدَبَّساً شرِّيرا

رِ قلباً مدَبَّساً شرِّيرا

And a nobleman you found, in the light of dawn,

And a nobleman you found in the light of dawn

And a noble figure whom, in the light of dawn,

to be a blackened, wicked heart.

A rotten evil heart

You found to be a heart stained and villainous.

وزعيمٍ أجلَّهُ النَّاسُ حتَّى

وزعيمٍ أجلَّهُ النَّاسُ حتَّى

ظنَّ في نفسِهِ إلهاً صغيرا

ظنَّ في نفسِهِ إلهاً صغيرا

And a leader whom the people revered until

And a leader people exalted until

And a leader revered by the people, until

he thought himself a little god.

He deemed himself a petty god

He fancied himself a petty god.

وخبيثٍ يعيشُ كالفأسِ هدَّا

وخبيثٍ يعيشُ كالفأسِ هدَّا

ماً ليُعْلي بَيْنَ الخَرابِ بناءهْ

ماً ليُعْلي بَيْنَ الخَرابِ بناءهْ

And a villain who lives like an axe, destroying,

And a villain living like an axe intent

And a malicious soul living like a destroying axe,

to raise his edifice amid the ruins.

On destruction to elevate amidst the ruins his building

Razing all to raise his own structure amidst the ruins.

وقميءٍ يُطاوِلُ الجَبَلَ العا

وقميءٍ يُطاوِلُ الجَبَلَ العا

لي فللّه مَا أَشَدَّ غَبَاءهْ

لي فللّه مَا أَشَدَّ غَبَاءهْ

And a puny man who vies with the lofty mountain—

And a dwarf challenging the highest

And a puny soul striving to rival the towering mountain—

by God, how great his stupidity!

Mountain - how great is his stupidity

By God, how profound is his stupidity!

ودنيءٍ تاريخُهُ في سِجِلِّ

ودنيءٍ تاريخُهُ في سِجِلِّ

الشَّرِّ إِفْكٌ وقِحَّةٌ ودَنَاءهْ

الشَّرِّ إِفْكٌ وقِحَّةٌ ودَنَاءهْ

And a base man, whose history in the record

And a lowlife whose history in the register

And a base one, whose history in the scrolls

of evil is falsehood, shamelessness, and baseness.

Of evil is scandal, vulgarity and baseness

Of evil is but falsehood, impudence, and filth.

كانَ ظنِّي أنَّ النُّفوسَ كبارٌ

كانَ ظنِّي أنَّ النُّفوسَ كبارٌ

فوجدتُ النُّفوس شيئاً حقيرا

فوجدتُ النُّفوس شيئاً حقيرا

I had thought that souls were great,

I thought souls were great

I once thought that human souls were great,

but found souls to be a paltry thing.

But found souls a paltry thing

But I have found the soul a paltry thing.

لوَّثَتْهُ الحَيَاةُ ثمَّ استمرَّتْ

لوَّثَتْهُ الحَيَاةُ ثمَّ استمرَّتْ

تبذُرُ العالَمَ العَريضَ شُرورا

تبذُرُ العالَمَ العَريضَ شُرورا

Life sullied it, then kept on

Defiled by life then it persisted

Life has defiled it, and continues still

sowing evils throughout the wide world.

Spreading over the wide world evils

To sow the wide world with seeds of evil.

فاحصدوا الشَّوْكَ يا بنيها وضِجُّوا

فاحصدوا الشَّوْكَ يا بنيها وضِجُّوا

وامْلأوا الأَرضَ والسَّماءَ حُبورا

وامْلأوا الأَرضَ والسَّماءَ حُبورا

So reap the thorns, O her sons, and cry aloud,

So reap the thorns O its children and clamor

So reap the thorns, O her children, and clamor,

and fill the earth and sky with joy!

Filling the earth and heavens with embers

And fill the earth and heavens with your mirth.