جهلتyou were ignorant of أصولthe foundations of الدينreligion ثمthen ارتقبتyou waited منbecause of
جهلت أصول الدين ثم ارتقبت من
بليةthe affliction of وهمthe delusion of الجهلignorance للنكرfor denial والكفرand unbelief
بلية وهم الجهل للنكر والكفر
You knew not the foundations of faith, then waited, because of
I was ignorant of the fundamentals of religion, then I expected
the affliction of ignorance's delusion, for denial and unbelief.
Disaster, for ignorance leads to denial and blasphemy
وظنيتand you thought أنthat الفهمunderstanding والعقلand reason والعلاand eminence
وظنيت أن الفهم والعقل والعلا
بزيغكin your deviation عنfrom دينa faith بهin which رفعةelevation of القدرstanding
بزيغك عن دين به رفعة القدر
And you thought that understanding, reason, and eminence
And I thought understanding, reason and knowledge
lay in your straying from a faith that confers exalted standing.
Would lead you astray from the religion of high worth
وحاولتand you attempted إحكامmastery of الطبيعةnature جاهلاًignorant
وحاولت إحكام الطبيعة جاهلاً
ولمand did not تدرknow ياO مغرورdeluded one أنكthat you لاdo not تدريknow
ولم تدر يا مغرور أنك لا تدري
And, ignorant, you tried to master nature,
And I tried foolishly to master nature
and did not know, deluded one, that you do not know.
Not knowing, o deluded one, that you do not know
وخليتand you left أمرthe command of اللَهGod ملقىcast علىupon القفاthe nape
وخليت أمر اللَه ملقى على القفا
وصيرتand you placed ميزانthe scales of الضلالerror علىupon الصدرthe breast
وصيرت ميزان الضلال على الصدر
And you left God's command cast upon your nape,
And I left God's command behind my back
and set the scales of error upon your breast.
And made the balance of misguidance upon my chest
لعمريby my life ماnot أفلحتyou prospered ياO أحمقmost foolish of الورىhumankind
لعمري ما أفلحت يا أحمق الورى
وسيركand your course هذاthis بدءthe beginning of عاقبةthe outcome of الشرevil
وسيرك هذا بدء عاقبة الشر
By my life, you have not prospered, O most foolish of humankind!
By my life! You did not succeed, o most foolish of creation
And this course of yours is the beginning of an evil outcome.
And this conduct of yours is the beginning of evil's consequence
ألمdid you not تدرknow أنthat الأجنبيthe foreigner إذاif درىhe learns
ألم تدر أن الأجنبي إذا درى
شؤونكyour affairs فيماin what أنتyou فيهin it منof الحسرdistress
شؤونك فيما أنت فيه من الحسر
Did you not know that the foreigner, if he learns
Did you not know that when a foreigner understands
your affairs amid the distress you endure,
Your affairs amidst the grief you are in
وحققand verifies منكfrom you الكذبlies والزورand falsehood والخناand obscenity
وحقق منك الكذب والزور والخنا
ودوركand your role فيin شطحاexcesses الخيانةtreachery والمكرand deceit
ودورك في شطحا الخيانة والمكر
and verifies your lies, falsehood, and obscenity,
And sees in you lies, falsehood, betrayal and cunning
and your role in the excesses of treachery and deceit,
And your role in the ravings of treachery and deception
وقولكand your speech بالبهتانwith slander فيabout دينكyour faith الذيwhich
وقولك بالبهتان في دينك الذي
ولدتyou were born بهin it ثمthen انحرفتyou strayed عنfrom الأمرthe command
ولدت به ثم انحرفت عن الأمر
and your slander against your faith, in which
And your words of slander about your religion in which
you were born, then strayed from the command,
You were born but then deviated from the right path
وتضييعكand your neglect of الحكمthe ordinance الإلهيdivine بعدafter ماthat
وتضييعك الحكم الإلهي بعد ما
نشأتyou grew up بهwith it طفلاًas a child وأرشدكand guided you المقريthe recitation teacher
نشأت به طفلاً وأرشدك المقري
and your neglect of the divine ordinance after
And your wasting of the divine ordinance after
you grew up with it as a child and the recitation teacher guided you...
You were raised by it as a child and guided by the teacher
وبعدكand your distance منfrom مولاكyour Lord يكفيكsuffices you ذلةٌhumiliation
وبعدك من مولاك يكفيك ذلةٌ
فتباًso woe كماas تدريyou know لعمركto your life منas a عمرlifetime
فتباً كما تدري لعمرك من عمر
And your distance from your Lord is humiliation enough.
And your distance from your Master is enough disgrace
So, as you know, woe to your life—what a lifetime!
So woe to you, as you know, by your life from among lives
فلوso if كنتyou were ذاpossessing عققلٍreason ورأىand judgment وهمةand resolve
فلو كنت ذا عققلٍ ورأى وهمة
تمسكتyou held fast بالمولىto the Lord معwith الذكرremembrance والشكرand gratitude
تمسكت بالمولى مع الذكر والشكر
So, had you possessed reason, judgment, and resolve,
If you had intellect, perception and resolve
you would have held fast to the Lord with remembrance and gratitude,
You would have held fast to the Master with mention and gratitude
واتقئتand perfected (probable reading) حسنexcellence of السعىstriving بالصبرthrough patience والرضاand contentment
واتقئت حسن السعى بالصبر والرضا
ولمand did not تشتغلbecome occupied قلباًin heart بزيدٍwith Zayd ولاnor عمرUmar
ولم تشتغل قلباً بزيدٍ ولا عمر
and perfected [probable reading] good striving through patience and contentment,
And attained excellent endeavor with patience and contentment
and not occupied your heart with Zayd or Umar.
And did not busy your heart with increase or decrease of wealth
ولكنbut دهاكoverwhelmed you الوهمdelusion والزيغand deviation والهوىand desire
ولكن دهاك الوهم والزيغ والهوى
أعوذI seek refuge بسرin the secret of اللَهGod منfrom ضربةa blow of المكرdeceit
أعوذ بسر اللَه من ضربة المكر
But delusion, deviation, and desire have overwhelmed you.
But fantasy, deviance and passions misguided you
I seek refuge in God's secret from the blow of deceit.
I seek refuge in God's mystery from the stroke of cunning
إذاif ضاعis lost عزthe glory of الدينreligion فالعزthen glory ضائعis lost
إذا ضاع عز الدين فالعز ضائع
وإنand if صيحis proclaimed هذاthis العزglory لاno كسرfracture للجبرfor mending
وإن صيح هذا العز لا كسر للجبر
If religion's glory is lost, glory is lost;
When the honor of religion is lost, honor itself is lost
and if this glory is proclaimed, there is no fracture to mend.
And though this honor cries out, there is no breaking of fate